Just Might Make Me Believe
by alittlesummerwine
Summary: How a world of fantasy and the twisted mind of a villain known as the Queen of Fables brings the Justice League to its knees and ultimately closer together.
1. Prologue

**Title: Just Might Make Me Believe (Fantasies & Fables)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the DC characters used in this story. I simply manipulate them for my own means and pleasure.**

**Chapter Title: Prologue**

**Story Summary: AU. Set after the episode Hearts and Minds. My original story about how Batman and Wonder Woman began a romantic relationship. Aided and inspired in part by the JLA comic Divided We Fall. **

The old man spoke in a deep and gravelly voice, regaling the wide-eyed, raptly attentive children before him with stories of days gone by, of fair princesses and dark knights, of danger and dark times.

These subjects were often part and parcel of fairy tales, of imaginary stories and places, and the children seemed to love these types of tales, of the amazing and the fantastic, something that would delve into their dreams and have them reenacting scenes for hours, fake swords in hand and wishes in their eyes. Their tousled heads and rosy cheeks gave the old man a feeling of pleasure, as did the telling of the story.

He sat in the plush leather arm chair, gazing down at the small children who looked back at him, the room filled with the heat of the afternoon sun and the fire that blazed in the marble hearth across the room. The flames leapt and danced, but no one was looking, all attention in the room was focused on the old man preparing to tell the story of a dark knight and his princess. He leaned forward, slowly and with an almost perceptible creak, bending down towards his captivated audience with a twinkle in his eye and the hint of a smile on his lips.

"Once upon a time," he began, "there was a beautiful princess with hair that shone ebony in the sunlight, hair that spanned the length of her back, and flowed like waves to the shore. She was possessed of a fierce warrior spirit, the kind that never let her back away from a fight, but she was also peace-loving and rarely seemed to be the one to actually start an altercation. Many who met her considered the princess to be a kind and generous woman who could pierce and lighten the darkest of souls with her smiles."

"One of these dark souls was a man who had been witness to the slaughter of those he loved, had been born of a tragedy and formed by the promise of vengeance, a man who came to protect the city that had birthed him so many years before in the darkness and the shadows of the night. He too was possessed of a fierce warrior spirit, one that drove him to seek answers and to prevent others from suffering the same fate he himself had endured. His constant presence in his city helped to stem the wave of crime that filtered through the streets and gave hope to the citizens that their once fair city could again return to its glory days of peace and prosperity."

Picking up a warm cup of tea, the storyteller sipped, enjoying the warmth of the liquid as it slid down his throat, bringing with it a comfort that soothed his voice as he prepared for the telling of the tale. "Together, this princess and this man, this Dark Knight as he was often called, were part of a team that strove to bring change to the world, to aid all those who had desperate need of them, and to protect Earth from those who sought to harm it. This Justice League, as it was named by those who fashioned it, was made up of seven members, each with different skills and strengths, each with a want to use those talents to defend and to serve Earth and its peoples in whatever capacity they could."

As he set down the cup of tea, he placed his gnarled hands together, linking the fingers and placing them atop his knee, all the while looking over his captivated audience. "These seven men and women were considered heroes to the world at large, each endowed with special abilities that enabled them to work amongst the others on this team and rise to the occasion when the world truly needed them."

He slowly leaned back, letting his back rest against the cushion of the chair, his tone modulated and even, blue eyes gleaming with that special light of revelation that seemed to enter his eyes whenever he was just getting involved in a story. The children, recognizing that look, peered around at one another with eyes shining. Knees were instantly pulled to their up, hands encircled their legs, and chins were propped quickly, their attention focused completely on the man in front of them, entertaining them with stories of princesses fair and knights handsome and true, of heroes from foreign lands and ordinary people who became extraordinary in the face of adversity and danger.

"This story will tell the tale of these seven men and women, of those close to them, and of one extraordinary time in the history of the league, when each of them had to fight against creatures the likes of which they had never seen before and work through a storyline familiar to them but with one small difference – they were now a part of the magic and the mystique that has given us all enjoyment and pleasure for centuries."

Eyes twinkling, he continued, "This, dear children, is the story of Superman, the last Kryptonian, a man given special powers by those who bore him and given ideals and character by those who raised him.

"This is the story of Green Lantern, a former military man who was recognized for his courage and heroism by the guardians of Oa and given a special power ring to act as a peacekeeper across worlds and throughout space.

"This is the story of Flash, a man fleet of foot and possessed with a quick wit that always found the light hearted humor in every situation. Although he is the youth of the group, he is still a hero in every right and one whose optimism rarely flags in the face of adversity.

"This, dear children, is the story of Hawkgirl, a woman who found herself a stranger in a world that considered her an outsider. She is a woman of fiery spirit with keen eyes and a heart that understands loyalty and devotion to a cause.

"This is the story of the Martian Manhunter, known as J'onn J'onzz, the last survivor of the Martian race who came to Earth to save its inhabitants from the same plight that had destroyed his home, his planet, and those dearest to him. While now an integral part of the Justice League, he is still a man alone in the midst of a new world, one struggling to adapt, but one who still strives to help his new world and care for his new family.

"And last, this is truly the story of the heroes known as Batman and Wonder Woman; two heroes who many consider opposites – a woman of lightness and grace and a man who is a part of the shadows and the darkness he fights against. These two heroes have the deepest admiration and respect for one another and have become like partners over the course of their time together in the League. They fight side by side, each knowing that the other will not let them down and will fight as long as they are able to draw breath."

Gazing down at his audience, at the rosy cheeks and the smiling eyes, rapt with fascination at the beginnings of the tale, he let his lips rise with his next words.

"As they have grown closer, an attraction has sparked between these two heroes and it will take one mission, the tale of which I am about to tell, to bring these two together, slowly and surely, in a romantic entanglement that will span until this day, their hearts coming together as their love grew and flowered in adversity."

Taking one last sip of his tea and setting it down, he added in his well modulated tones, "After all, it was once said that the flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all. So, now, children, I will begin my tale. It starts, as they all do, once upon a time…"

And little did the children know that this one was true…

**And so it begins! Settle in – it should be an interesting and magical journey! Hopefully.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts - what do you think will happen next?**

**Next chapter (appearing soon): A Hard Day's Night - A book and a mission…**


	2. These Are the Day of Our Lives

**Title: Just Might Make Me Believe (Fantasies & Fables)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the DC characters used in this story. I also do not own the Justice League episode A Better World, from which the second half of this chapter starts, somewhat.**

**Thanks to Lavender Gaia for the great beta and JLAFan/MyBatBoys for all the help with this chapter and with your favorite son of the Bat. Also, I changed the name of the chapter - I'm going to use all Queen songs in this story. Hopefully. **

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**Chapter Title: These Are The Days of Our Lives **

_"Because these are the days of our lives/They've flown in the swiftness of time/These days are all gone now but some things remain/When I look and I find no change…" – Queen _

She arrived home exhausted, her feet tired and achy, her body sore from her exertions of that day. It hadn't simply been another day at the office – it had been hell come alive. The boss had been screaming about deadlines and data and she imagined inanely that she could still hear his voice ringing in her ears. Pressure and tension had been slowly building in her head all day until it was all she could do not to check and make sure that her head was still attached at her neck.

All she wanted now was a frozen pizza and a little time with her son before she put him to bed for the night, giving herself some well-deserved mom only time involving nothing more than watching the news and sipping a cold glass of iced tea, pizza slice in hand.

Sighing heavily, she shifted the burden in her arms so that she could reach into her purse and find the key to unlock the front door. Her fingers rattled against her wallet, the book she'd bought earlier, and the plastic container that had held her lunch before she finally managed to located her keys and extricate them from her bag.

Sometimes she was amazed that she hadn't found a way for her entire life to fit into her purse, but some things, she thought, opening the door, were simply too big to fit. And one of them was running towards her now, a smile on his chubby, chocolate smeared face that cleared away the dreary vestiges of the day and replaced them with an overwhelming love that still managed to take her breath away.

Taking a step inside, she dropped her bags on the floor and leaned down to pick him up, to cradle and cuddle him in her arms as he leapt forward, secure in his welcome in his mother's arms. Holding him closely, she turned and shut the door before asking, "How was your day, sweetie?"

As he began to babble at her, telling her of the adventures he'd had of making chocolate chip cookies with Marla, the babysitter, she listened with half an ear as she made her way towards the kitchen, intent on determining just how large a mess the two had made in their baking endeavors. Absentmindedly, she tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear and turned the television on, the hum of the news in the background as she passed through the living room. Walking through the doorway of the kitchen, she immediately saw Marla wiping down the counters, clearing them of the doughy splatters that seemed to be an essential part of cookie making when a two year old was involved.

"Good evening, Marla."

"Good evening," the babysitter replied with a sheepish smile. "Just cleaning up in here."

"I heard something about some cookies."

"Cookies!" the small boy in her arms exclaimed, reaching out with a smile and a chocolate smeared fingers towards the plate of cookies on the table that he'd obviously enjoyed earlier.

"They're cooling on the kitchen table if you're interested," Marla said, her attention still on the cookie crusted decorations splattered across the counter.

"That's alright, Marla. Maybe in a little bit. I'm going to go ahead and put Connor in bed. Feel free to head out whenever and don't worry about the mess. I'm used to it by now," she told the babysitter with a soft, affectionate smile towards her son.

Heading back to where she'd dropped her purse, she hefted her son higher into her arms, telling him, "Want to hear a bedtime story first, Connor?"

"Story! Teddy!" he exclaimed, squirming and wriggling until she finally let him down so that he could go find his beloved teddy bear, Hero. Rummaging through her purse, she finally unearthed the book she'd purchased earlier that day from an antique book store that she'd paid a trip to during her lunch. Normally on a blustery day like today, she would have stayed in for lunch, but with the boss ranting and raving, she had decided that it was the perfect time to make the trip. She'd been meaning to check out the store anyway and today it had been the perfect escape.

Her lunch hour had been spent in the company of ancient tomes and leather bound novels from the early part of the century rather than the screaming that had accompanied every call from a client today. The smell of must and vanilla in the bookstore had lured her in, and once there, she'd retreated into the place she now considered a sanctuary, a haven for bibliophiles.

And, of course, she hadn't managed to walk out of there empty handed. She'd been desperately eyeing a first edition Nancy Drew book when her eyes had alighted on a dusty cover that read: Fantasies and Fables. Immediately intrigued, she realized that a book of fairy tales was the perfect way to help Connor get to bed at night. So, she'd snatched up the book without any hesitation, forgetting the Nancy Drew as she'd quickly glanced at her watch and realized that her lunch time was practically over.

Heading down the hallway toward her son's bedroom, she smiled as she walked into his room. For once, she realized that she wasn't going to have to fight to get him into bed. Connor loved stories of all kinds and apparently the promise of tonight's tale was enough to lure even an occasionally petulant two-year old into bedtime.

Eyes twinkling at the sight of Hero clutched in his arms, she took a seat on the edge of his tiny little bed, reaching down to pull the covers up to his chin before planting a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Ready?" she asked, picking up the book and balancing it on her lap, glad that she had taken a few minutes at work earlier to surreptitiously clean it from it's dust laden state.

He nodded, his eyes already at half-mast and she opened the pages, immediately enchanted by the old fashioned script and the large, bold letters that signified the beginning of the story.

Seconds later, light pulsed and spilled out of the tome of tales, filling the room with a burning glow that made her look away and try desperately to cover her eyes. She began to scream as she realized that she could no longer see Connor, frantically running her hands over the bedspread until she encountered a tiny leg underneath the covers.

The pages began to flutter wildly as she pulled Connor to her, yanking him into her arms as within the light appeared dragons, creatures of fantasy, and moments of fable. And then, in their wake, she emerged dressed in gold and glitter, a crown wreathing her head and extending high into the air, matching the ruffle that floated outward from her neck in a high, starched manner before falling into a cape of deepest purple that flowed down to pool on the floor.

She had a face made even paler by the moonlight streaming in the window, a choker that glittered gold, the color echoed in the luminous bustier that highlighted her willowy figure. Her skintight leggings clung to trim legs before delving into stiletto boots that seemed to somehow fit the regal personality and bold costume as nothing else would have. Nails like talons, she raised her hands as if for a deep yawn before opening sapphire eyes, emboldened by the heavy magenta eye shadow that dominated her face.

Paying no attention to the screaming woman before her, she glanced at her surroundings and finally at the woman and child clinging desperately to one another, their eyes wide with fear and their hearts pounding in fear and terror. With a disparaging glance, she dismissed them as unworthy, useless to her cause, and regally gestured to the horde of goblins hovering around her before striding out of the room, never even noticing the gargled sounds of fright as they faded into oblivion behind her.

She made her way through the house, stopping before an oval shaped mirror that hung on a wall in the living room to straighten her crown and brush the barest of wrinkles from her cape.

Striking a proud, regal figure, she asked in a voice soft and bold, "Tell me true. Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest in the land?"

And a moment later, when she had received no answer, she glanced idly at the flickering television screen where a news report was showing weeks old footage of the chaos Vandal Savage had inflicted on Kasnia. She began to lose interest when suddenly, a face came on the screen, a face of purity and beauty, with hair dark as ebony and lips red as the rose. And with a wicked tilt to her lips, she smiled and dreamed of revenge.

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He came from space in a blast of heat and a rush of light, emerging from the red cocoon that surrounded him with a yell of fury and only one thought dominating his mind – to find Superman and destroy him. His scarred grey body rose from its crouched position, taking stock of all that surrounded him before his eyes alighted on the array of lights and sounds that signified a city was nearby. 

Above the tower of trees around him, he could see skyscrapers and buildings collapsed together in a heap of humanity, dark and dingy in the lack of light around him in the forest. He bared his pointy teeth in something resembling a grin and set forth, heading determinately to the city in search of his nemesis, in search of the only name that his brain could produce, the only name that ring on his cracked and scarred lips.

Superman.

He moved steadily towards the city, a huge grey mass of muscle with only one purpose in mind – to enact revenge upon Superman for all that he had done to him. He would find Superman and kill him, without mercy, without a second thought. The moonlight shown upon his white hair and the fragments of horn and bone that rose out of his arms and back, a monstrous figure in the darkness as he marched towards the city of Blüdhaven that rose beneath him, illuminated by the street lamps and lights that dusted the city with a brilliance it was ill-suited for.

As he entered the outer limits of the city, he moved to destroy and to attract attention with whatever havoc he could wreak upon the metropolitan area. A nearby car seemed the perfect target and he moved towards it, hefting it with ease before hurtling it across the street and into a newsstand, creating a fiery blaze that was sure to bring the great Kryptonian hero to the rescue and aid of these citizens he was seeking to terrorize.

He continued his rampage of terror, working deeper and deeper into the city, never noticing the figure that looked in the shadows of the rooftops, a blue and black costume clinging to his muscular stature and allowing him to blend in with the darkness that surrounded him. By the level of destruction that the creature had already produced, the hero knew that this was someone of great physical strength, and then, catching a glimpse of the monster's face and body, lit by a nearby street light, he whispered, anger lacing his voice, "Doomsday."

The hero leapt from the rooftop and, using his unparalleled acrobatic skills, he allowed the smoke filled night air to envelop his body as he performed his trademark quadruple somersault before shooting off a jumpline moments before his plummet reached terminal velocity. He was hoping to draw the monster away from the destruction he was currently inflicting on his city and keep him busy long enough for the Justice League or someone with enough fire power to show up once news of Doomsday's arrival circulated. In the meantime, it was up to him to distract the deadly villain until help appeared.

And man, was he going to need help, he determined quickly after he landed, watching as the grey skinned villain begin tearing cars in half, launching the pieces into the air and littering the streets with the wreckage. Smoke and fire began to pour off of the concrete until the street looked like a firestorm come alive, burning with the ruins and remains of what Doomsday had already decided to destroy, presumably in his quest to once again find Superman and engage him in battle.

As the acrid smell of burning rubber and scorched concrete filled his nostrils, Nightwing landed in a crouch, glancing quickly around him to determine the best method for diverting Doomsday from his current method of entertainment long enough for others to arrive and keep the creature from completely destroying Blüdhaven and everything in his path.

Rising slowly, he fell back on his greatest weapon in his arsenal: his sense of wit and humor. His grin flashing in the darkness, he said calmly, in a tone just loud enough for Doomsday to hear, "Hey, if you're in the market for a good used car, there's this place over on Broad..."

Stepping out of the way as a car flew through the air to land just feet from him in a pile of crushed metal, he could hear the strains of a pop song playing on the radio inside, as if a terrified passenger had abandoned their automobile mid-tune in order to escape the monster's wrath.

Recognizing the artist as a recent pop starlet, he groaned inwardly and stared in the direction of the monster currently tearing his city apart and paying him absolutely no mind. Leaning against a lamppost, he let his lips quirk as he continued to try and draw Doomsday's attention to him instead of allowing the creature's destructive tendencies to reign.

"You're not in the market for a foreign car. I understand," he persisted, watching the creature toss away a Volvo, and then he saw the beady, vengeful eyes of Doomsday alight on him. "Nothing wrong with being picky…"

He stopped mid-sentence, launching himself backwards in an acrobatic somersault to land nimbly a few yards away from where a telephone booth that Doomsday had ripped out of the pavement now lay on its side, broken glass lay splintered, shining in the moonlight. Close one, Grayson, he murmured to himself. But it wasn't everyday that he got to play tag with a monster that was considered an equal in strength and invulnerability to Superman.

He refused to take his eyes from Doomsday even when he heard the sound of an approaching helicopter, signaling that help was on its way and hopefully the League wouldn't be far behind. They simply weren't the kind of heroes to leave a monster of this magnitude unchecked for very long and with any luck they would have a few tricks up their collective sleeves as to how to defeat this kind of creature, this villain who refused to relent or renege on his revenge against Superman.

Nightwing watched as the creature looked up as at the helicopter which hovered overhead, the blades beating an angry rhythm that did nothing more than irritate him, much like an insistent fly that hung around after numerous swats. A bright beam of light descended upon him from the craft that floated overhead, and he looked up, placing a hand over his eyes to shield them from the intensity of the shaft of light. And then, gunfire began to rap in a staccato pulse around him, bouncing off his skin like harmless pebbles until the ground was littered with empty casings and bullets dented from the impact.

With a flash of black and blue, he used the grapple and jumpline to rise to the rooftops once again, out of harm's way in order to let the armed forces invaded his city deal with the monster and stop him before Blüdhaven was little more than rubble and ruin.

The sound sirens wailing filtered through the night, growing louder and louder in intensity as black unmarked vans pulled up yards from where Doomsday stood, looking down at the bullets hitting his chest with disinterest and apparent disdain. Uniformed men wearing heavy armor and face masks sprang from the back of the van, one carrying a weapon that he immediately aimed at Doomsday. The rocket launcher spewed forth a discharge of heat and fire, hitting Doomsday squarely in the chest as smoke erupted, billowing towards the sky in noxious clouds of black, debris raining down on the streets as they sought to control the monster on his rampage.

And from the fiery blaze emerged the towering figure of Doomsday, unmarked, unhurt, and looking to all those in the vicinity absolutely no worse for the wear. Even his green shorts were unsigned and untouched, his face raging and obviously still bent on revenge. He didn't hesitate but run forth, taking great strides towards a nearby police car and with one swing of a giant fist, he crushed the hood, hefted the car and tossed it towards another police car, leaving nothing but smoldering embers and ash.

Turning, his eyes harsh in the street lamps, he growled something that sounded suspiciously like "Superman," his beady gaze focused on the skyline and Nightwing looked up to see a streak of red racing towards the city in the air, mirrored by one on the ground, and knew that help in the form of the Justice League would be here imminently. And looking down at the chaos that now filled his city, he realized it wasn't a moment too soon.

**Next chapter: Hammer to Fall - Taking on Doomsday and a Transformation...**

**Comments, questions, criticism appreciated. In fact, reviews make me happy and keep me going! Thanks...**

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_To reviewer **Miguel Dubon** - It's actually by special request that the Dick and Donna pairing has once again found its way into my work. It took a little effort to make them fit, but I think it will be worth it in the end. I like all the pairings I mentioned and will include them, but the focus of this story will definitely be on Bats and Wondy. I hope that you still think that you're in for a treat in this story after reading this chapter!_

_To reviewer **Lauren** - Thank you! I really tried to make the beginning of this story creative. The idea has been in my head for awhile so I finally decided to start writing it and let everyone else see it too! Fairy tales are all about princesses and in this case, I simply added in a Dark Knight instead of the traditional handsome prince. I hope you like it!_

_To reviewer **T** - It is a very new way of starting off a story for me, a different perspective of what's going on with the Justice League, told from the somewhat traditional storyteller angle. I hope that you continue to like the way this story goes! The narrator/storyteller will definitely make a return at some point and his identity will be revealed. A cliffhanger ending of sorts, but don't worry, all will be revealed in good time, my pretty, all in good time! This story will definitely draw from traditional elements of literature and tell the tale of the Justice League and the villain I've chosen. Hopefully, you'll continue to be captured within my story and that it stays magnificent with the characters in character. We'll see! Thank you for the review!_


	3. Hammer To Fall

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the DC characters used in this story.**

**Thanks to LG for the beta. Also, thanks again to JLAFan for the valuable input. Love you both!**

**Also, I am planning to try and update this story every Monday.**

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**Chapter Title: Hammer to Fall**

"_Waiting for the hammer to fall, now baby/While you're waiting for the hammer to fall …" – Queen_

"Now, dear children, pardon the interruption, but this old man needs his tea in order to keep up his strength. However, hopefully the interruptions from here on in will be few and far between. Now, where were we?"

"Nightwing and Doomsday!" one of the children piped up, voice laced with enthusiasm, his dark head bobbing and his blue eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Superman!" one of the others yelled. "Superman!"

"No way, I bet it's the Flash," a little girl exclaimed, smiling, showing off the missing front tooth that slightly impeded her speech, her red-haired pigtails dancing around her head.

"What about Batman?" one of them asked. "And the princess?"

"All in good time, children, all in good time," the old man answered, having returned to his seat, leaning back and watching their faces as the excitement of the tale unfolded around them. Each of them was already rapt with excitement, enchanted by the story, one the old man knew for a fact was true.

But then, few things that were considered fantasy and fable weren't actually true in some respect or regard. This story, however, had started on that dark evening in the city of Bludhaven when Martha had opened the book. And although Doomsday, formidable though he was, had been rampaging through the city, it was not he who was the source of evil that had wrapped itself around the heart of the city, the Justice League, and their friends and family.

It was she.

And it was she who had transformed his own world, the way that his world was now. The happiness that surrounded him might never have been possible without the machinations of the Queen. And for that fact only, the story bore repeating, retelling to this generation of children – so that they would never forget the magic and the romance, the drama that had unfolded that night and led to this moment.

Looking around him at the children arguing over where he had stopped the story, he smiled and said softly, "Patience, children, the knight and the princess will make their entrance to the story in time. For now, I do believe that the other members of the Justice League were arriving on the scene to come to the aid of Nightwing against Doomsday."

Linking his hands, he laid them on his lap and leaned forward, asking softly, a twinkle of excitement in his eye, "Would you like to hear what happens next?"

And at their eagerly bobbing heads, their happy chorus of yeses, he began once more…

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And from the fiery blaze emerged the towering figure of Doomsday, unmarked, unhurt, and looking to all those in the vicinity absolutely no worse for the wear. Even his green shorts were unsigned and untouched, his face raging and obviously still bent on revenge. He didn't hesitate but run forth, taking great strides towards a nearby police car and with one swing of a giant fist, he crushed the hood, hefted the car and tossed it towards another police car, leaving nothing but smoldering embers and ash. 

Turning, his eyes harsh in the street lamps, he growled something that sounded suspiciously like "Superman," his beady gaze focused on the skyline and Nightwing looked up to see a streak of red racing towards the city in the air, mirrored by one on the ground, and knew that help in the form of the Justice League would be here imminently. And looking down at the chaos that now filled his city, he realized it wasn't a moment too soon.

Leaping to the ground via the grapple line, he made it to down to the concrete just as the streak of red on the ground came to a screeching halt next to him.

"Hey, Robbie!" Flash said, a grin quirking the edges of his lips. "Never fear, the Flash is here!"

Rolling his eyes, Nightwing turned to the hero touching down on the other side of him, noticing the sober expression on the face of the red and blue figure known as Superman summarizing the entire situation around them. With Doomsday on the loose, the entire city of Blüdhaven, if not the world, was in serious danger until he could be contained. And while Nightwing appreciated Flash's sense of humor and somewhat optimistic view of the situation, it seemed a little misplaced with a villain like this destroying his city and bent on vengeance.

Still, he was glad for the reinforcements and let that feeling filter into his voice, "Nice to see you guys."

"So what's the plan of action?" Green Lantern demanded, his eyes surveying the destruction and the troops all around him. The sound of bullets pinging against the chest of Doomsday and the frenzied shouts by the soldiers echoed around them as they stood in a small group off to the side – Nightwing, Flash, Green Lantern, Superman, Hawkgirl, and J'onn J'onzz – trying to decide how to handle a monster of this magnitude, particularly with so many bystanders and while he was still in a city with thousands of citizens.

As for Doomsday, he had set his sights squarely on those around him, on eliminating them so that he could reach his ultimate destination – the man standing only yards from him now – Superman. And around him, the bullets continued to rain down like hail and the streets were filled with shouts of fear and encouragement, of the rotors that spun atop the helicopter, and the squealing of tires as more and more armed men pulled up in order to stop the alien terrorizing the streets of Blüdhaven.

"Leave Doomsday to me," Superman said, his eyes slitted and hard, and Nightwing could literally feel the waves of rage and purpose rolling off of the caped hero. Looking up at the face of the hero he'd respected for so long, he could see the resemblance to granite in the chiseled jaw line, the determination that drove the man to be a hero to his adopted world.

And now that determination and purpose was focused squarely on the monster in their midst, the one who had just manhandled the helicopter, grasping the skids on the bottom of the copter in his meaty hands and sending the machine through the air in a wild spin, careening out of control towards one of the buildings along the street. With a quick movement, John sent a beam from his power ring, capturing the helicopter in from its wild revolution and setting it gently down on the sidewalk, removing its unconscious passengers and placing them out of the range of fire, near the paramedics that had arrived on the scene.

"This is no time for showboating!" Green Lantern stated harshly, looking at Superman, all the while knowing that his words wouldn't puncture the Kryptonian's need to take on Doomsday by himself. The antipathy between Superman and Doomsday ran deeply, fueled by years of fighting, of destruction and the driving need by Doomsday to eliminate the last Kryptonian.

"He's mine," Superman repeated, his voice booking no argument and none of the others seemed willing to gainsay him on that decision, knowing that if nothing else, Superman was the closest they had to an equal in strength to the physical endowed and intimidating Doomsday. His gaze landed on the monster standing just yards away now and, as their eyes met, the bitterness and animosity that rose in the air was almost palpable.

"Fine," snapped Green Lantern, his gaze resting on Superman before looking at each of them in turn. "The rest of us will protect the crowd and back you up on the ground and in the air. Just remember, Superman, that we're a team. It's not all on you to defeat Doomsday."

And without another word, Superman took off like a shot towards the creature currently destroying the vans that the armed troops had arrived in, catching Doomsday in the jaw with his fist, sending him skidding backwards, a crater in the concrete behind him outlining his enormous body. And Doomsday rose to his feet, a look of malice in his eyes, the knuckles on his fists cracking as he flexed his hands and bared his teeth, the gums and crooked incisors forming a hateful grin as he launched himself at Superman, slamming him into the ground while landing a vicious punch to his face.

Flash raced around, gathering citizens in his arms and moving them quickly to safer locations, places where hopefully the fight between Doomsday and Superman wouldn't cause damage to people and property. Green Lantern was busy using his power ring in order to move the vehicles out of the way of the two combatants while Hawkgirl waiting anxiously on the sidelines for a chance at Doomsday. No matter what Superman said, this was still a team effort and she wanted a piece of the action, she thought, tapping her mace in her hand and watching for any opportunity to leap into the fray.

"Mommy!" a little voice cried and looking around, Nightwing spied a little girl on the stoop of a building, clutching a raggedy doll in her hands as tears trickled down her cheeks in abandon. Heading over to her, he picked her up, holding her securely in his arms, worried that she would wander in towards the action and find herself in greater danger. Rubbing a gloved hand along the tracks of tears, he whispered, "Don't worry, we'll find your mom."

She gulped back tears, sniffling as she looked up at him. "Okay," she answered in a quavering voice, her eyes filling with fresh tears as she clutched tighter to both the doll and Nightwing. Noticing a frantic looking woman rushing towards them, her arms open and her hair flapping with every movement, Nightwing turned to the little girl, pointing as he asked, "Is that your mom?"

"Mommy!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up and he took a quick glance around, determining the danger to be far enough away before setting the little girl down on the ground and watching her race towards her mother, her matching braids bouncing up and down with every step on her chubby legs.

Turning back to the situation at hand with Doomsday, he noticed that both the Martian Manhunter and Hawkgirl had joined the fight against the monster, their combined strengths wearing down Doomsday somewhat, but he was still fighting, still extremely strong, bent on killing Superman and anyone else in his path and he wasn't wasting his punches as he continued to try and gain the upper hand in the battle.

Catching Hawkgirl in one hand by a wing, he tossed her to the side with a force she was unprepared for, sending her crashing into a nearby building, landing on the sidewalk in front of it, unmoving and apparently unconscious. But before Nightwing could move, Green Lantern had already set himself down beside Hawkgirl, gently running a hand along her wings and examining her for broken bones and other damage in a manner that spoke of efficiency and affection.

The teamwork of Superman and J'onn had finally set Doomsday to the ground and he was staying there, still slow to move, doing little more than groaning and grunting as the two heroes continued to pummel him with their fists, knowing that with Doomsday, even once he was down, it was never long before he was up again, as strong and as powerful as ever.

As Nightwing was surveying the scene, trying to come up with some means of stopping Doomsday, he watched as John helped Hawkgirl to a sitting position, as he ran a hand down her back in a soothing motion as she struggled to regain her senses. Out of the blue, a bolt of lightning lanced through the sky, bright enough to burn the retinas and stop each of the heroes in their tracks as they threw up their hands in order to shield their eyes from the blast.

When it cleared, Nightwing slowly lowered his hands, his vision quickly adjusting to the darkness once again and he looked around to see the others doing the same, rubbing their eyes and glancing about, trying to figure out what had just happened. He swiftly took stock of the situation and at first glance, everything appeared in order, but he soon realized that something was amiss.

Doomsday was gone.

He saw Superman pound the ground in angry frustration before looking at the sky, eyes closed and fists clenched, as he roared out his aggravation at this new development. His bellow quickly subsided though as they came together, the six heroes, each looking at each in confusion and utter bewilderment, all of them with a tinge of frustration that Doomsday had somehow managed to elude capture.

"Um, what just happened?" Flash asked. But none of them could answer, none of them had seen any more than the others and now, all of them were left in the dark as to where Doomsday had gone.

His orange eyes glowing, J'onn put a hand to his hand, uttering, "I sense the presence of evil in this city."

"Doomsday!" Superman spat out. "Where is he? Where did he go?" He clenched his hands into bloodless fists, using his X-ray vision to scour the nearby buildings as if Doomsday had hidden himself there during the lightning strike that had blinded them all.

"It is not Doomsday, Superman. It is…another."

After all, it wasn't in Doomsday's nature to go underground rather than fight. And following the lightning bolt that had illuminated the skies, he had found himself in the presence of a woman who was looking him over like a piece of fruit at the market, a regal figure crowned with elegance and evil. Regardless of his struggles, his grunts and groans, she held him in place with no effort, simply pointing a figure at him as she circled his figure, admiring his strength and his persistence before noting simply, "You'll do, creature, you'll do."

Royalty, she had decreed, was due a bodyguard of some sort and who better than this creature who could have emerged from one of the storybooks itself, a figure of combined horror, strength, and a mindlessness that she knew would ultimately come in handy. She had found out from prior experience that it simply didn't do when a minion decided to make decisions for themselves – led to all sorts of silly mix-ups and problems.

Including, she seethed, the problem of Snow White. It was a problem that she intended to remedy as soon as possible, once she discovered where the foolish child was hiding herself. She had recognized her instantly – that dark hair, the ruby red lips. The costume she wore was of no matter – she was still the hated Snow White no matter what disguise she donned or name she assumed.

And as the woman looked at the figure named Doomsday, she snapped her fingers and instantly, his squirming ceased and he stared blankly back at her. Staring at his blank vacant expression, her eyes lit up and a smile crossed her face. "Perfect," she mused, "You're just perfect."

Turning to the window, she looked out onto her new kingdom, turning her nose up in distaste as dingy buildings and darkened streets came into her view. It simply wouldn't do, she mused arrogantly, not for a queen. She deserved the best and demanded it as her due, simply an innate part of the royalty that was bred in her bones just like the centuries of magic.

And as the six heroes watched, a mixture of dismay and amazement in their eyes, the city of Blüdhaven was transformed into something out of a gothic tale, a nightmare and fantasy scene brought to life with rising turrets and ivy, moats and draw bridges. The streets were suddenly cobbled, the street lights suddenly wrought metal lanterns, and the siding and brick of the buildings was altered into stone. It looked like a medieval village brought to life with a decidedly darker twist to it fashioned from evil looking gargoyles, a guillotine springing up from where Doomsday had last lain, and all the stars in the sky winking out to creature a shadow of blackness that dominated the city, a forbidding sign that none of the six failed to notice.

Then, as if it said it all, and it did, Nightwing whispered, "Oh, shit."

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**Next chapter: I Want It All – The Wonder sisters make their entrance into the story…**

**Wow. Little dismayed and saddened by the lack of reviews on this story so far, but hopefully you'll like this chapter better! Any criticism, comments, questions, whatever, would be greatly appreciated. Any ideas on who you think the villain is or what happens to Doomsday. Thanks!**

**If anyone is interested, there is a Valentine's Day fiction and art contest going on at the Heroes forum. You can find it - it's my homepage on my profile and it's under Announcements. Sign up and submit your story for a prize! Submissions end February 17. Should be interesting...Check it out.**

_To Reviewer **T** - Thanks! Don't worry about it. You really bumped up the amount of reviews I got! Hehe. Well, I'm very happy to hear that while it's a very traditional telling of the fairy tale, particularly by the narrator, that it's still nice and fresh. Well, considering that there are a lot of men with blue eyes in the DC Universe, that doesn't really narrow it down! However, this particular male was definitely in the Justice League show and that's all the help I'll give you. It will all be revealed in good time, my pretty, all in good time. (Sorry, I lapsed into Wizard of Oz!) I'm glad you like my choice of villain - I've absolutely fallen in love with her and the freedom she allows me - and that you've been drawn into the story. Not many have so far!_

_To Reviewer **Miguel** - The Dick/Donna was done by special request, but I have to admit that I'm falling in love with them as a couple. My beta has sucked me in and now I'm part of the Dick/Donna cult. The Valentine's contest I mentioned above? Almost everyone is going to be doing Dick/Donna, so there should be a lot more coming! And hey, even if they were together in the comics, they wouldn't be happy for long. No one ever is._

_I'm glad that you like it so far - hearing that it's a treat is music to my ears! And thank you for the compliments over the description. I figure, I'm not good at dialogue - stick with what I know. And I know long and rambling sentences. hehe._

_Yeah, Nightwing against Doomsday is unfair, so thank goodness the League arrived! I never should have chosen Doomsday, but stupid here picked a challenge! You're absolutely right - Doomsday is a formidable foe for anyone, physically, and there are, quite simply, few that could handle him for any amount of time and Nightwing is not one of them. Much as I love him. You're right - he's wits, not necessarily strength._

_As for your guess of Circe - well, the villain is a witch, but unfortunately, she's not Circe. You'll have to keep guessing! Thanks for the review!_


	4. I Want It All

**Title: Just Might Make Me Believe (Fantasies & Fables)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the DC characters used in this story.**

**Thanks to LG for the beta and to JLAFan for the valuable input and assistance. As always, I love you both! Thanks for the help!**

**Also, I am planning to try and update this story every Monday.**

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**Chapter Title: I Want it All **

_"So I'm living it all (yes I'm living it all)/And I'm giving it all (and I'm giving it all)" - Queen _

She surveyed what she had created, at the beauty that now surrounded her in what had previously been nothing more than a dingy city, overrun with vermin and filth, both human and animal. She had taken that city and transformed it into a kingdom worthy of a queen such as herself. Surveying the land, arrogantly pleased with herself, she turned back to her new bodyguard, simply stating, "Keep guard," assured that her orders would be followed to the letter.

Her mind began to plot and plan, to consider how best to take care of her archrival and finally do away with the woman known as Snow White. It was her greatest wish, her ultimate desire, something she had dreamed about for thousands of years. And finally, it was all within her grasp and she smiled cruelly at the thought of her nemesis trapped forever by a spell, by whatever her mind could concoct to use against the princess.

Eyes shining with glee and malice at the thought of Snow White's demise, she rubbed her hands together, almost giddy with anticipation.

It was time to find Snow White.

The two women sat across from one another at the kitchen table, almost mirror images of one another. Each possessed a dark and magnificent beauty – hair of ebony, lips of ruby red, and skin practically porcelain in its perfection. They were considered two of the greatest beauties in the world and their personalities echoed that beauty, each becoming a hero for Earth and trying their best to lead by example, to show the world how to fight with peace, with truth, and occasionally, with the powers granted to them by the gods as well.

But now wasn't about gods or power, peace or justice, it was about truth, about sisterhood and about relaxing with someone who knew you inside and out.

It was about sitting down with your sister and enjoying a bowl of popcorn while sipping iced mochas.

"So," Donna began between munches of buttery popcorn, "I have to ask…"

Diana smiled softly, knowing exactly what her sister wanted. Normally, she wasn't always one to confide in other people, but with Donna it was different, a little easier to share the intimate secrets of her soul. She flipped her hair back over her shoulder, letting it drift down her back before leaning closer to her sister, taking a sip of her iced mocha before she said, "It's true."

"Really?" Donna asked. "I had to ask. You know me." She winked conspiratorially before wiping her hands on a napkin and pushing the bowl of popcorn towards Diana. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she added, "So, tell me everything."

"I'm not entirely sure where to start, Donna," her big sister replied, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs, taking a sip of her iced mocha, enjoying the cold flavor as it rolled down her throat. She let her thoughts drift back over the last few months, to the time when she had first arrived in Man's World and found herself intrigued by a certain man, a certain hero who had opened her eyes to the goodness of men, who possessed qualities that she had heard about in the tales of her people – of bravery, strength, and intellect that rivaled the finest she'd ever heard of.

She had realized the strength and the, well, uniqueness of the hero known as Batman almost immediately, noticing that he chose to fight his battles with his brain first, always carefully thinking through a plan for any pitfalls, and relegating his strength to the secondary part of the fight. He was a man of intensity, of brilliance, and who needed no more than his own intelligence and strength in order to be a hero among men, an urban legend of the world, and one who preferred to work behind the scenes. He wasn't one to want credit and recognition for what he did – he simply wanted to protect his city and, by extension, the world.

He used his brains and intelligence in order to overcome his lack of powers and that alone made him the most powerful man in the League. He didn't need superhuman speed, a power ring, or abilities given to him by the gods. In essence, he was a self-made man; and he'd made himself into a hero, into a man worthy of her respect and admiration.

And perhaps even her love.

She wasn't sure that her heart had reached that stage of affection; she simply knew that she cared deeply for him. They hadn't discussed it; it had simply been there between them for some time, unspoken.

And she wasn't sure that she was ready to discuss it with him – he was the strong and silent type, as Shayera had told her, and one who had dedicated himself to his mission and his work as Batman.

She knew the secret behind the mask, knew the true identity of Batman as Bruce Wayne, having figured it out during their dance in Paris that hot summer night. And glancing at Donna, she knew where to start this time.

"I had decided to take a little time away from the Justice League, to spend a little time out in the world getting to know better the people that made up the world. I wanted to understand them, to enjoy their company, and to assimilate myself, having up to that point spent all my time basically with the League.

"And you, of course," Diana added with a smile, leaning across the table to place her hand over her sister's where it lay on the table. She placed her iced mocha on the table, pondering her next words while she watched the cup form a ring of condensation on the wooden slats of the table next to the bowl of popcorn.

"It was in Paris," she continued. "A steamy summer night filled with the light of the stars and the sounds of music from the ballroom inside. I don't know why I choose that place or the night, but I've never regretted that decision." She smiled at her sister and then closed her eyes and leaned back, letting the picture of that night run through her mind, the memories filling her senses and her thoughts as she continued to talk.

It had been a night where anticipation had raced along her skin as she'd dressed – a long sleek black ball gown that she'd found last minute in a little salon in the city of Paris. She'd brushed her hair until it had been shining and soft, falling down over her shoulders in a mass of waves and curls. Her last glance in the mirror had shown a woman infused with the sparkle of life and excitement, a smile of eagerness on her face as she'd exited her hotel room for the society function.

She'd walked in unsure of what to expect, but her head had been held high with confidence, her shoulders thrown back with pride.

She hadn't expected that to be a night of revelations – about herself, her feelings, and about a certain someone.

She didn't feel uncomfortable telling Donna of Bruce's secret, knowing that her sister had been steadily growing closer to Nightwing, otherwise known as Dick Grayson, Bruce's adopted son, for quite some time. In fact, Diana rather suspected that their friendship was fast growing into something else, but Donna had never confirmed the fact and Diana hadn't questioned her sister about it, knowing that when comfortable, Donna would tell her of any changes in her romantic life.

Donna was never shy about asking others about their lives, the invertebrate gossip, but Diana didn't feel the same need to question her sister about her life. If something came to fruition between Dick and Donna then Diana would find out about it eventually, whenever her sister was ready to share.

She continued to tell her sister of that night, of that first moment that Bruce had taken her hand in his and she'd felt something spark between them, when she'd first looked into that handsome face and seen something in it that had been both attraction and recognition.

Something that had been growing steadily between them for some time, she knew not when it had started, had suddenly been right there in front of her, easily to see but difficult to understand. She'd never found a man prior to Bruce that had been able to earn her respect and her admiration, but, she told her sister with a laugh, she'd known pathetically few men in her life. Still, something had been different about Bruce but it had taken her awhile to realize that her heart was being stolen by this man.

Diana still wasn't entirely sure that her heart was still intact, that she hadn't already given her love away to Bruce.

She hadn't looked deeply enough in herself to answer whether or not she was in love with Batman, with Bruce Wayne, with all the sides that made up the man.

Linking her fingers with Donna, she murmured, "I think I'm in love, Donna, and I never expected to find myself in this position. It's…thrilling and scary all at once."

"You're Wonder Woman," Donna replied, grasping her sister's hand a little tighter in support and a show of affection, "If anyone can handle both thrilling and scary, it has to be you."

Diana laughed, squeezing her sister's hand before extracting it and reaching for her iced mocha once again. She took a sip, gazing into her sister's laughing eyes as she considered her words and took heart in them – she was an Amazon, afraid of nothing, certainly not of her own heart and the feelings it encompassed.

She listened as Donna told her about a recent mission, her eyes taking on a special twinkle as she talked about how Nightwing had used his innate leadership skills in order to trick the villain and allow the Titans to emerge victorious. Diana laughed as Donna replayed the jokes that some of the Titans had tossed around, even amidst their battle, reminding Diana of Flash and some of the antics that he had pulled on their missions. While she didn't appreciate his humor in the middle of a fight, she was grateful for his unfailing optimism and easy smile.

Sensations began to race down her spine as Donna continued to talk, a sense of foreboding enveloping her as she asked her sister, "Do you feel something?"

Donna stood quickly, knocking back her chair as the smile faded from her face. Watching her sister, Diana turned, standing and looked outside the apartment window into the arrogantly superior smile of a woman wearing flowing robes and a golden tiara, her face pale and her beauty haughty and regal.

"Who is she?" Donna murmured, but Diana could do nothing more than shake her head, unable to identify the mysterious woman with the commanding presence. She was tall and willowy, her blue eyes narrowed with what appeared to be a combination of malicious delight and burning hatred. Locking eyes with the woman, Diana took a step forward, hoping to draw the woman away from the apartment building and all the citizens currently inside. If the woman had malevolent intentions, and she certainly appeared to, it would be best to keep her away from the innocents, out of firing range.

But before she could take another step, the stately figure disappeared with a snap of the fingers and Diana spun around to face Donna, swiftly asking, "Where'd she go?"

And then her spine began to tingle again as evil laughter filled the air, dancing with vicious gaiety along the nerves at the base of Diana's back. Before she could turn, she watched in horror as everything in the room began to move and spin, as wind raced around them in sheets of speed and sound, carrying the bowl of popcorn, the little candles that had decorated the table, the picture frames that housed Donna's photos, and even the magazines that had been littered on Donna's coffee table.

Bracing herself against the wind, Diana pushed herself to face the woman who had somehow magically appeared in the middle of Donna's living room, her face glowing with a wicked radiance and her evil laughter still echoing around the apartment, carried on the wind. And then, suddenly, the wind stopped and everything crashed to the ground, glass shattering and magazines ripped apart with gleeful abandon.

Donna and Diana raced through the air towards the woman, but were stopped in mid-air, literally unable to move, unable to break free of the invisible bonds that held them. And they witnessed the woman walk forward, an arrogant smile again gracing her face as she ran a finger down Diana's face, a caressing gesture with undertones of wrath that Diana simply couldn't fathom, couldn't understand.

She knew, in her heart and her mind that she'd never met this woman before, that her eyes had never laid on this magically and malevolent creature in her life, throughout the thousands of years of it.

"My dear Snow White," the woman began softly, her voice lilting, but sin laced every word, every phrase, "You poor, pitiful child. To think that you thought that you could hide from me."

She laughed softly, walking around to face Donna. Tapping a finger on her chin, she continued her monologue: "And you, dear Rose Red, you have evaded me for too long as well." Biting her lip as she smiled cruelly, she murmured, "Victory, so long elusive, is now finally within my grasp. And to get the both of you! How sweet, how deliciously sweet – I can almost taste that I have finally won, finally defeated you both."

"Now who's the fairest in all the land?" she asked softly, her voice rising in volume as laughter overtook her, shaking the regal figure until finally she managed to control herself, leaving her face wreathed in smiles and her eyes shining with long awaited happiness.

Then they narrowed as she looked at Diana and Donna, watching their struggles, listening to them trying desperately to speak. Letting one final bout of laughter loose, she added, "There's no use arguing with me, my dear Snow White and Rose Red, I know who you are. No matter what you choose to call yourself or where you hide, I will find you. And in fact, I have."

Pursing her lips, she snapped a finger and the girls disappeared as the woman began to laugh, the sound echoing around the now empty apartment with an evil cruelty that bespoke of ill tidings to come.

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The narrator looked down at his audience, still rapt with attention, the floor filled with children eagerly awaiting the next words to emerge from his mouth. He smiled softly, for he loved the telling of this tale. It was one near and dear to his heart, one that deserved to be passed on, to be shared so that all could understand the heroics of these men and women, of the sacrifices that they had made and the choices that had affected the future. His future. Their future. Everyone's future. 

It was a story that deserved telling and he was glad to see that his audience was so fascinated by the telling of it. It did an old man's heart proud.

Eyes alighting on the children, he asked quietly, "What do you think happens next, children?"

"Dragons!"

"Monsters!

"Nightwing will save them!"

"No, Superman will save them!"

"Batman will save them!"

"Save them from who?" the man asked, looking around to all of their faces in turn, trying to decipher if any of them knew exactly who the villain of this tale was.

They looked at each other in confusion, mouths pursing and eyes mutinous. "Tell us!" they demanded and he smiled at their enthusiasm.

"Well," he said, rubbing his chin with a finger, "I'm not quite sure that you're ready to know yet."

"We are!" they chorused. "We are!"

"Shall I tell you about the villainess," he murmured, "Or shall I tell you what she does next?"

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**Next chapter: Killer Queen – The Justice League and Nightwing go after the Queen…**

_To reviewer **T** – Don't worry about it! I'm just glad that you sent reviews. The only tip you get for the narrator is that it is a man with blue eyes. Good luck with that!_

_Glad you're still enjoying the story and I'm sorry I'm only going to post once a week, but I'm trying to make sure that I have time to do other things. Do you like the style that I'm writing this in? Thanks for liking the ending – it's always the hardest part of the story. Well, after the beginning! Hehe._

_To reviewer **queenoflanval** – I'm glad that you're enjoying the story so far! The reviews are slowly starting to pour in and I feel better. I think it's because I really enjoy writing this story and I'm afraid that other people don't enjoy it quite as much. But hopefully they'll see the light! I hope..._

_Nightwing is not always in my stories, but he usually creeps in thanks to requests and the fact that I now love the idea of him and Donna together. I can't help myself. So he sneaks in and I'm enjoying it! I just have to get to know him a bit better. But he'll be very important in the course of the story. I'm happy you think I write him well! And I have to admit that I had a little help with the car bit – thanks, JLAFan! Thank you for being impressed and I hope that you still are!_


	5. Killer Queen

**Title: Just Might Make Me Believe (Fantasies & Fables)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the DC characters used in this story.**

**Thanks to LG for the beta and to JLAFan for the valuable input and assistance. As always, love you both!**

**I'm dedicating this chapter to my grandfather in honor of his 80th birthday.**

**Also, I am planning to try and update this story every Monday.**

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**Chapter Title: Killer Queen**

"_She's a killer queen gunpowder gelatine, dynamite with a laser beam/Guaranteed to blow your mind...- Queen_

"Shall I tell you about the villainess," he murmured, "or shall I tell you what she does next?"

The children stared at him as he put a finger to his chin, pretending to ponder what next as they considered him, waiting for his pronouncement of what was to come next in this story. He had already gained their complete attention and with each additional detail their imaginations grew, their minds considered all the possibilities of what could come next, and the fantasy morphed and shaped until each had a clear picture of where their narrator was going to go with the story.

Of course, each of them was wrong. Indeed, this was a story that few could predict the ending to and few still knew the truth behind the story, the actuality behind what had happened that day years before, when chaos and hell itself had been unleashed upon the city of Blüdhaven, forever changing the heroes who had sought to stop the villainess. Their lives, the narrator thought, looking around the room at all the treasures within it, had been irrevocably changed by one woman and the horror that she had brought with her, the changes that she had unleashed upon each of them.

Feeling a tug on leg of his pants, he looked down to see a dark haired poppet glancing pleadingly up at him, asking, her eyes widened with every word, "What next?" She murmured some indistinguishable word after that that sounded suspiciously like Poppop and the narrator picked her up, placing her on his lap and watching her insert her thumb in her mouth, sucking away vigorously as she pleaded with her eyes for him to continue. He ran a hand down over her hair, stroking the dark strands with careless affection before smiling at the little girl.

"Alright," he said to the group at large, "I'll tell you more about our villainess later. For now, I'll reveal what she did next. But I warn you, this part of the story is filled with magic and mystery, creatures derived from nightmares and the Queen's vast array of fantasy, fables, and figments of her imagination. And perhaps, yours as well…

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"My dear Snow White," the woman began softly, her voice lilting, but sin laced every word, every phrase, "You poor pitiful child. To think that you thought that you could hide from me."

She laughed softly, walking around to face Donna. Tapping a finger on her chin, she continued her monologue: "And you, dear Rose Red, you have evaded me for too long as well." Biting her lip as she smiled cruelly, she murmured, "Victory, so long elusive, is now finally within my grasp. And to get the both of you! How sweet, how deliciously sweet – I can almost taste that I have finally won, finally defeated you both."

"Now who's the fairest in all the land?" she asked softly, her voice rising in volume as laughter overtook her, shaking the regal figure until finally she managed to regain control of herself, leaving her face wreathed in smiles and her eyes shining with long awaited happiness.

Then they narrowed as she looked at Diana and Donna, watching their struggles, listening to them trying desperately to speak. Letting one final bout of laughter loose, she added, "There's no use arguing with me, my dear Snow White and Rose Red, I know who you are. No matter what you choose to call yourself or where you hide, I will find you. And in fact, I have."

Pursing her lips, she snapped a finger and the girls disappeared as the woman began to laugh, the sound echoing around the now empty apartment with an evil cruelty that bespoke of ill tidings to come.

And as her laughter continued, she too disappeared, leaving the apartment in wreckage and ruin, the remnants of evil amusement lingering behind her as she reappeared in the building she had now taken to calling home, the castle she'd made herself in this formerly wretched city. She walked to the mirror, staring at her reflection, casually combing a stray lock of hair away from her face as she smiled a sultry smile, watching as it echoed back at herself through her glass. Her figure was still neat and trim, her skin firm and dewy, and now, now she could finally consider herself the fairest in the land, particular with the two princesses locked away in one of the tower rooms.

She grinned, watching the smile crease her face as she considered what she had just accomplished, thrilled beyond her years that she had finally managed to beat the hated Snow White and capture her sister, Rose Red, as well. Satisfaction bled from every pore as she stroked a finger over her face, enjoying the look of perfection that she found only when looking at herself.

And now with her rival out of the way, as well as the insipid little Rose Red, she was free to do what she wanted, free to revel in her evilness, and most importantly, she was now the most beautiful woman in the land, just what she had always craved and had finally achieved now that she had locked away Snow White. And, of course, Rose Red.

Smiling to herself, she glanced over and saw starlight streaming through the nearby door to the an outside terrace and strode out, grasping the wrought iron bars of the balcony in her hands as she surveyed her new territory, the land in which she was now, rightly and completely, the most fair.

And as the six heroes watched, a mixture of dismay and amazement in their eyes, the city of Blüdhaven was transformed into something out of a gothic tale, a nightmare and fantasy scene brought to life with rising turrets and ivy, moats and draw bridges. The streets were suddenly cobbled, the street lights suddenly wrought metal lanterns, and the siding and brick of the buildings was altered into stone. It looked like a medieval village brought to life with a decidedly darker twist to it, fashioned from evil looking gargoyles, a guillotine springing up from where Doomsday had last lain, and all the stars in the sky winking out to create a shadow of blackness that dominated the city, a forbidding sign that none of the six failed to notice.

Then, as if it said it all, and it did, Nightwing whispered, "Oh, shit."

The six heroes stood, a small circle of brightly colored costumes and wide-eyed reactions, each of them taking in the newly transformed Blüdhaven, looking around them, their minds racing, trying desperately to figure out what was going on and how to stop it before things reached the point where they could no longer be changed or returned to normal. There was only one answer for how things had suddenly reached this point and the first to whisper it in an abhorrent tone was Superman.

"Magic."

Flash groaned, "Again?"

"Who is it this time?" Shayera demanded, forgetting her earlier pain as she hefted her mace, taking a few steps forward, her eyes darting about as she searched for any additional sources of danger that could be lurking in the shadows. When magic was concerned, she knew, one could never be too cautious or careful. "Morgaine le Fey?"

"Or maybe that Faust guy?" Flash asked.

"I thought Hades took care of him," Shayera replied, poking her head into one of the nearby alleys.

"Yeah, well, maybe he's back!" Flash exclaimed.

"We should scout out the area," John said, "and try to determine exactly who it is that we are dealing with. Let's split up and look around, find out where this villain is hiding and who it is we're dealing with."

"The second part will not be necessary, Green Lantern," J'onn stated, his orange eyes glowing in the darkness and they all turned to see what information he had unearthed through his telepathy. The fiery glow faded from his eyes and he turned to face all of them. "It is neither of them."

"How can you tell, J'onn?" Superman asked, placing a hand on the Martian's shoulder.

"I cannot feel either of their presences here in Bludhaven," he answered, looking around into the faces of each of the heroes around him. "In fact, I cannot feel anything this time."

"What do you mean, J'onn?" Shayera asked, unconsciously gripping her mace tighter in her hands and letting her gaze quickly scan the area before looking back at her friend.

"Their powers are not present here. This villain is…stronger and when I felt the presence of evil before, I knew that it was neither Faust nor le Fay."

He looked over at Superman, his usual serious expression somehow even more concerned as he continued, "But now, I feel nothing. I cannot link my mind to this person. My powers seem to be gone, to be diminished in some way. I feel as if it would require all of my strength in order to shape shift at this time."

The others, bar Nightwing, all looked around at each other, turning to determine the extent of their powers and just how much the villain had sapped from them. Flash did a quick circle before halting, putting his hands on his knees and panting from exertion. Nightwing walked over and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You okay, man?"

"Tired…already…" Flash answered, looking up into Nightwing's eyes, barred by the mask, worry etched on every line of the former speedster's face as he murmured, "What's wrong with me?"

"What's wrong with all of us?" Superman asked, eyes creased in worry as he tried to understand what was going on around him. "I can barely fly, I have maybe a quarter of my strength, and I can't even get the laser beams from my eyes to work."

"Even my mace won't work!" Shayera exclaimed. She looked around in dawning horror as the implications of that statement made themselves known to all of them standing there. One of the properties of the Nth metal mace was that it could be used against magic, but in this case, even the mace couldn't stand up to the power of the magic being availed against them.

"It is a powerful magic," J'onn intoned. "And one which we have not dealt with before."

"Nightwing," Superman stated, "You know the city and you still have all use of your abilities."

Nightwing grinned wryly; it wasn't often that he was considered the most powerful in a group of superheroes, but leadership seemed to be the role that he had found himself in since his days as a Teen Titan, his natural milieu.

"We can't just stand here!" John challenged them. "I still say that we go and find whoever it is!"

* * *

The six heroes moved quickly but cautiously through the streets of Blüdhaven, Nightwing in the lead as they tried to find the source of the magical presence that had taken over the city. As they crept closer to the heart of the city, the transformation of the city grew stronger while their powers, all except Nightwing's, weakened with every step, convincing them that they were headed in the correct direction, that the villain in Blüdhaven was somewhere just ahead of them.

And suddenly, in front of them rose two towering columns of dark, gleaming stone, moon and starlight bouncing and reflecting off of the surface as the six heroes made their way closer, confident that they had indeed found the source of the villainy that had infiltrated Blüdhaven. A massive wooden drawbridge barred the front entrance and heavy iron chains lay in folds down the side of the door, quiet and still in the night. And yet, there was something in the air that bespoke of evil and as they approached, a lilting laughter lit the night, forcing them to glance upwards and see a regal figure perched high above them on a balcony ledge, watching their progress and smiling evilly.

Before they could take even one more step, the figure drifted down from the balcony to hover a few yards above the six heroes, a smile blooming on her face as she gazed down at them, eyes twinkling with mischief and evil. "Oh, faithful knights," she mused aloud, her voice soft and lovely in the night and yet, the sound of it sent shivers down each of their spines. "It's too late. Too late, indeed."

She shrugged and let out a soft laugh. "No matter what foolish name my dear Snow White calls herself, I have found her. As well as her irritating little sister, Rose Red."

Looking around at the sea of faces surrounding her, she added softly, "You all look confused. Are you not knights of the princesses?"

And with dawning horror, Shayera demanded, "What have you done with Wonder Woman?"

"A silly name," she exclaimed with laughter, "but then, it's a fitting name for a silly girl.

"I have already taken care of both of the princesses," she continued and from high in one of the towers, two glass coffins floated outwards, shining with gilt and gold in the night. And as they came closer, to the heroes' horror, they could see the quietly reposed faces of Diana and Donna, the Amazon princesses. Their beauty was unmistakable, but the two sisters were unmoving, utterly still as they hovered in the air. Nightwing's blood began to boil as he gazed upon the woman he had come to care so deeply for, seeing her locked away, still as death, and he launched himself off the ground towards her, only to find himself stopped mid-air.

Squirming at his invisible bonds, he heard the voice of the villainess murmur, "I'm sorry, Sir Knight, but I believe that these princesses are mine." Snapping her fingers, he disappeared.

She looked down at the others standing there beneath her. "Anyone else game to try and rescue the fair sisters before I destroy them?"

And while the others tried to engage her in a fight to save the princesses, Superman looked over to see a familiar face that he hadn't expected to see in Blüdhaven: Lois Lane.

Rushing over as fast as his feet would carry him, he stopped in front of the intrepid reporter, asking, "Lois? What are you doing here? Get out! It's not safe!"

"I'm a reporter," she answered, "covering a story." Her violet eyes were lit with fire and she smiled up at him before adding softly, "Get out of my way, Smallville."

John and Shayera charged the villainess, working together to try and bring her down, but before they had taken more than a handful of steps, they found themselves whisked into the air and the sound of laughter was the last thing they heard before they too disappeared from sight.

Before Lois could take another step, something grabbed her from behind and she turned, staring in the face of a nightmare come alive – a goblin with fangs that dripped blood and saliva, eyes that glowed green in the darkness, and she looked down to see a clawed hand grasping her arm before she screamed, the sound puncturing the night air.

J'onn was the next to come forward, his eyes glowing as he tried desperately to delve into the mind of the woman holding Diana and Donna captive, and finally, he made a weak mental link before the woman turned on him, eyes alight with anger and wrath. And before he could do anything more than whisper, "The Queen," J'onn too disappeared with a wink of her fingers.

Superman grabbed the goblin by the arm, hoping that his failing strength would be able to protect Lois from the creature, but he immediately took a clawed fist to the face and stumbled backwards, Lois' scream still echoing in his ears as he pushed himself to his feet, body aching as he desperately wished that his healing abilities would return quickly.

Flash gulped, looking around and realizing that except for Superman, who was otherwise occupied, he was the last man standing. And then he looked up at Diana and Donna, at the faces that he knew so well and the women who meant so much to him and, friendship the only thought on his mind, he pushed himself hard, racing towards the evil woman, her laughter streaking by his ears as he demanded more and more of his body, straining to reach maximum speed so that perhaps the woman wouldn't be able to touch him.

And then, the blur of red was gone, and the night was punctured only by the sound of scuffle as the woman watched Superman struggle to his feet, desperate to protect the woman fighting with her friendly little goblin. She laughed evilly, her mind filling with potential fantasies before finally deciding that that the woman's screams were getting on her nerves. All she wanted to do was sit and enjoy the thrill of victory still racing through her veins.

So, she snapped her fingers and the two combatants disappeared, leaving only the goblin to continue moving through the streets of her new city. She returned the sisters to the turret, landing gracefully on the balcony outside their door before looking down into the world that she had created, idly wondering if perhaps she should make sure that no one else could intrude upon her newly fashioned home of stone and iron. Pursing her lips, she caressed her chin with a finger and decided that indeed, more security was necessary.

With a small smile, she watched as from the ground, masses of thorns sprung up, tangled and gnarled, blocking every possible entrance from any other knights the princesses might have. One could never be too careful, she realized, and with a wicked tilt to her lips, she added her crowning security feature: one of the winged creatures she had decided made a perfect addition to her repertoire. Its scales gleamed as the moon bounced off its wings and its eyes glowed in an echo to her own – of pleasure and purpose.

The red caped one had mentioned something about a Metropolis and she was eager to see if she could claim that as her own as well. Rubbing the scaly head, she murmured, "Watch over the castle, my pet," and disappeared into thin air in search of other cities to conquer.

While her pet, the dragon, waited with bated breath with any other knights errant showed up.

* * *

**Next chapter: Now I'm Here/Under Pressure – Batman finds out what's going on…**

**Please review! I'd love to know what you're thinking about the story and where you think it might be going! I'm very nervous about this story and I could really use the support! I know you're out there and I'd love to hear what you're thinking!**

_To reviewer **T** – Yup! You're going to have to guess the narrator, but don't worry, you still have a few chapters to go before it's revealed to you anyway. I'm glad that you're enjoying the story and I know how hectic life can be. I hope everything is okay at home!_

_I'm not surprised that you have no idea where I'm taking the story. I'm honestly not sure that you could even guess! Hehe. I'll just say that there will be drama, romance, action, and much, much more! Well, hopefully anyway. Yeah, writing the children is really fun and one of my favorites parts of the story – nice to think like a kid for a few minutes – to relax with no worries or concerns beyond the story being told to them. Thanks for the review!_


	6. Now I'm Here & Under Pressure

**Title: Just Might Make Me Believe (Fantasies & Fables)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the DC characters used in this story.**

**Thanks to LG for the beta and to JLAFan for the valuable input and assistance. As always, love you both!**

**Also, I am planning to try and update this story every Monday. Next Monday, however, I will be out of town, so I'm not sure when it will be updated again. But I'll try not to make you all wait 2 weeks!**

**I changed a little bit around in this chapter for some of you! I know that you've all been wondering who the villainess is and now you can find out a little more about her, but not much!**

**Chapter Title: Now I'm Here/Under Pressure**

"_Now I'm here/Think I'll stick around" - Queen_

"_Pressure pushing down on me…Watching some good friends screaming, let me out!"- Queen_

"Oh, come on, Batsy!" the voice overlaid with laughter exclaimed with a playfully innocent tone. "We were just having a bit of fun!"

He grabbed Joker roughly by the collar of his shirt, hauling the villain up until they were face to face, cowl practically pressed against the stark white and bleeding colors that made up the Joker's face.

"You call this fun?" he growled. "You're insane, Joker." Viciously, he bared his teeth, scowling from under his cowl into the countenance insanity, knowing that he would have little to no impact on the criminal fool looking back at him with a smirk gracing his face.

As he spoke to the villain, Joker began to laugh in a tone that still managed to curdle his blood, the sound increasing in volume, echoing throughout the night, and a part of him wanted to silence that bout of hilarity forever, to make sure that Joker couldn't hurt anyone again. The villain had unleashed his Joker toxin on innocent people enjoying a comedic play in one of the Gotham playhouses, causing hilarity and riotous chaos to ensue throughout the city as the grinning victims had decided to take themselves to the streets. It had been another long night, filled with the antics of the Joker and himself in the shadows, trying desperately to make sure that no one got hurt and that the Joker was brought to justice for his crimes.

He himself had been unable to disperse the anti-Joker toxin throughout the city, but luckily, he had some time ago given several vials to Dr. Leslie Thompkins, longtime friend and ally, and he knew that she would take care of the victims while he spent the evening ferreting out the Joker's hideout and trying to keep him from doing any more harm. With the victims safe in the hands of Leslie and the other paramedics that had arrived on the scene, he had been able to meticulously comb the city, following every clue and trace of the Joker until finally managing to catch up with him and his accomplice for the evening, Harley Quinn.

They'd led him on a merry chase and tried their best to elude capture, but he'd known that with these two, it was just a matter of time before one of them, usually Harley, gave away their position and led him straight to where they were hiding. And tonight had been no different; they had inevitably led him to their secret hideout by way of tiny clues that they had left all over the city this evening.

It had been particularly sweet to catch up with them and pull the Joker into his grasp once again, evading the simple tricks and ill-trained punches the Joker had tried to lay on him. Usually the villain was more prepared, but tonight, he had taken for granted the fact that Batman would need to stay and help the victims, overlooking the numerous allies that Batman had in his arsenal.

For now, he was simply glad to have the madman in his grasp and once again on his way back to Arkham Asylum, home to the criminally insane and, if he were honest with himself, the majority of criminals that he was forced to face on a daily basis in order to protect Gotham City, as he had promised himself he would do all those years ago. Tying him up, he could hear the sirens wail in the background, coming closer and closer with every step. And frankly, he was grateful to hear that sound, wanting little more tonight than to return to Wayne Manor and sleep, assured that the streets were safe for another night.

After confirming that his capture for the night was trussed up and bound alongside his accomplice, he turned, firing a grapnel and fading away into the shadows of a nearby rooftop, watching as the Gotham police arrived on the scene.

"Insane, am I?" the Joker shrilly laughed into the darkness around him, his voice resonating amidst the shadows and the filth that comprised Gotham City at this hour, the sound splitting the very air that lingered around them, intensifying with each breath until it reached its maddening climax. Abruptly, he caught off the sound, shouting, "Tell the man how sane I am, Harley!"

But she was currently occupied with other matters, and, struggling with the police officers who had just tried to secure her, she yelled out in her distinctive voice, "Hey, take it easy!"

"It's back to Arkham for you two," one of the officers said as they handcuffed the criminals, leading them away through the night and into a police van bound for the Asylum.

Batman, from his perch high above, watched as the van sped off into the darkness, sirens blaring and the sound almost like music to his ears. Another, he supposed he could call it successful, night in the city of Gotham. He quickly checked in with Oracle through the ear piece in his cowl, making sure that Leslie had managed to treat all of the victims and that no one was still suffering the effects of the Joker toxin.

She affirmed that all was well and that things appeared to be quiet at that moment in Gotham. He breathed a quiet, inner sigh of relief.

"Fine. I'm going home. Batman out," and then he turned, firing a grapnel into the night and heading back towards the spot where he had left the Batmobile for the night. He could have easily summoned it, but there was something he needed to do tonight, something that he needed to experience.

Freedom.

Just for a second, he wanted the freedom and the joy of flinging himself through the night, without any worries or cares as he headed home, secure in the knowledge that his city was safe again and that Joker and Harley would both be in the relative protection of Arkham at least for tonight. This city was beginning to take a toll and he simply wanted tonight, for a few moments, to forget about being Batman and to remember his city and why he had taken on the mantle of hero for it.

It wasn't the life that his parents would have chosen for him, but still, it was a conscious choice he had made in order to help his city survive, to help revive and redeem Gotham City in the eyes of the world. And sometimes, he didn't realize quite how much he had sacrificed in order to help his city, to keep others from experiencing the same heartache and sense of failure to which he had once been privy.

There had been women in his life, he mused as he flew through the skies on his jumpline, but that part, the romantic, sexual side of his life, had been almost constantly neglected since, well, forever. He had many times thought himself to be falling in love, only to remember once again that there wasn't just Batman or Bruce Wayne – he was a symbiosis of both, a meeting of those two minds and men. A woman would have to understand both parts of his lifestyle and he simply wasn't sure that any were up to the task.

Most women could only understand him as one or the other. For Selina, he had been a creature of the night, someone she could understand as Batman. He had cared for her deeply, perhaps even loved her, but their stance on the law and crime had muddled the relationship to the point where he wasn't sure it could ever survive now, even if either of them were willing to give it a chance.

To others, like Lois, she had enjoyed the easy-going, carefree lifestyle of Bruce Wayne, preferring to eschew his darker side, not understanding it and how it drove so much of him and his life. She had instead returned to Metropolis, working as a reporter in the big city instead of enjoying life by his side.

He couldn't blame her. He couldn't blame anyone for not wanting to take on both Batman and Bruce Wayne, every side and facet of him. But perhaps, he considered, there was one…

"And as Batman flew through the air, he considered the darkness in his life and the complete and utter impossibility that even one woman would be able to understand him, to take on all the sides of him and cherish them. Because, dear children, when one is in love, it is important to cherish that other person and to try and understand them."

Looking down into their cherubic faces, he added, "Don't worry. You'll understand this lesson better later in life. For now, let's concentrate on Batman's entrance into the story."

One of them smiled and then softly asked, her face lit in an innocent smile, "Does the knight get a princess?"

"Oh, my child, you'll just have to wait and see, for this knight is tortured by his emotions and often prefers to simply be no more than the hero," the narrator told her.

"What does that mean?" one of the other children asked.

"It means that he does not want to deal with his past and refuses to make time to deal with his future, as a man. Instead, he tries to protect the city of Gotham, forgetting that love is a necessary requirement to life. Sometimes, children, this man forgets that he is still a man, a man who loved his parents so much that he is still trying to protect and preserve their memories in a city that long ago forgot them, that forgot how much they meant to Gotham."

"He needs someone to love him," one of the little girls lisped, her dark hair curling into her eyes as she clutched a teddy bear. Wrapping her hands more firmly around the bear, she added, "Someone to kiss his boo-boos and hug him."

"You're exactly right," the old man murmured with a soft smile. "He needed someone to understand him and to love all that he has done with his life. But, as he is about to learn, that someone is in grave danger, as are many who have come to mean something to this Dark Knight of Gotham."

"Ohhh," the children chorused as their eyes, if possible, grew wider at the thought.

"And as Batman finally stopped, his feet coming to rest on the solid ground just beside the Batmobile, he received a communication from Oracle that he wasn't expecting…"

"Batman," Oracle stated as he was putting a hand to the door of the Batmobile, causing him to immediately halt and respond with a growled, "What?"

"The entire Justice League is no longer available for communication. I can't find any of them."

"Last known position?" he quickly responded.

"Superman, Hawkgirl, Flash, GL, and J'onn were all in Bludhaven assisting Nightwing in taking down Doomsday. However, I no longer have any contact with any of them. In fact, I can't seem to find them anywhere in the city."

His heart immediately felt like there was a vice wrapped around it. The fact that Nightwing was involved in this chilled his blood and he wanted to tear his way through the city until he reached Bludhaven, Gotham's sister city, but he took a moment to calm himself, to let his blood slow and his logical side return. "What about Wonder Woman?"

"She was in New York, spending the day with Donna, but I can't seem to locate either of them either. It's as if they've all just disappeared and I can't find any trace of them."

He paused for a second, reflecting on her words and trying to come up with the best way to handle the situation. His innate leadership abilities had served him well in the past and he would doubtless find a way to save the day here as well.

Or so he hoped. He wasn't a man for hope, but something about this development, this situation, led him to believe that he was going to need a little before the day was through. Working through the tension clogging his throat, he began to speak when Oracle cut him off.

"Wait a second, Batman, I'm getting something…It appears that Bludhaven has been…Oh, my …It looks like Bludhaven has been transformed! I'm getting news feeds and it looks like the entire city has been turned into something out a gothic novel or a medieval story. And it looks like the center of it is a castle where one of the main buildings in Bludhaven was located.

"Batman, that castle is being guarded by thorns, a…dragon, and what looks like an array of other mystical and magical creatures."

His mind whirling, racing to try and figure out who this villain was and what they wanted, he listened with half as ear as Oracle continued.

"It looks like the first sighting of this villainess appeared outside a residential building at Fourth and Elm Streets. And, Batman, they're calling her the Queen of Fables…"

**Next chapter: Stone Cold Crazy – Learning more about the Queen of Fables…**

**Please review! I'd love to know what you're thinking about the story and where you think it might be going! I'm very nervous about this story and I could really use the support! I know you're out there and I'd love to hear what you're thinking!**

_To reviewer **T** – Don't worry about it! I'm just glad that you take the time to review. I really appreciate it. And believe me, I do understand about life being very busy sometimes. You can, of course, guess who the narrator is, but don't think that I'll be telling until the end! A few people have guessed so far – possibly correctly, possibly not._

_The nickname of Lois' is one that I've heard lots of people use and did appear in Justice League, so don't think I made it up on my own! And Lois will be in the story again alongside Superman. And I have to warn you, since I got the impression you're not a fan, that Dick and Donna will again be coupled in this story. I really like them, so they're going to start cropping up more and more. Hope you don't mind! And thanks for the review!_

_To reviewer **queenoflanval** – I do indeed know how life goes, so thank you for finding the time to read and review. I'm glad you're enjoying the story still, that it's pulled you in and is keeping you interested. Yes, my villain is an OC as far as the Justice League show is concerned, but I did pluck her out of the comics – she's a little my imagination and a lot of DC's imagination. Definitely nice to hear that the narrator is adding to the story rather than just filling space and he'll definitely reveal more later – when the end comes and you find out who it is._

_That said, I hope you enjoyed Batman in this chapter! Thanks!_

_To reviewer **Lauren **– as I've told others above this, don't worry about it! I know that life gets busy and we all have other things to do rather than sit around and read my stories. I'm glad that you like it so far! I never really thought about the story being somewhat like a Middle Age tale of princess and knights and such, but I can see it now. Don't worry – the Dark Knight will save his princess in the end! Thanks!_


	7. Stone Cold Crazy

**Title: Just Might Make Me Believe (Fantasies & Fables)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the DC characters used in this story.**

**No beta this time. Her computer's on the fritz again! So it's all me…**

**Chapter Title: Stone Cold Crazy**

"_Stone cold crazy you know…" - Queen_

The first thought that entered his mind was to immediately make his way to Bludhaven and confirm for himself that the League, with the additions of Nightwing and Donna Troy, were indeed gone, somehow vanished and the city of Bludhaven itself transformed into something out of a medieval or gothic novel. He'd taken a step forward before he even realized and instantly pulled himself back, trying to fade back into that vast land of coldness and impassivity that was his usual state – the murky darkness that shrouded his heart through which no emotion or feelings could penetrate. Images ran through his head of the city, of what it would look like now, snared in the blackness of the night sky, filled with horror and a transformation that simply couldn't be explained by any means other than magic.

He hated magic.

There was no logic to magic, no easy way to understand or adapt to it other than to learn more about its originator and decipher their weaknesses. Unfortunately, he knew absolutely nothing about this villainess, this Queen of Fables, and would have to learn more before he could even attempt a rescue or anything similar. His mind raced to try and determine what course of action to take next – to head to Bludhaven and find out what he could there or retreat to the Batcave and access the computer in order to see what he could locate through his vast array of informants and informational channels.

Within seconds, he'd decided that the best plan of action was to let Oracle do what she did best – to find out what she could through her computer and any other technology means available to her.

"Oracle," he barked out, his voice cold and controlled through logic and sheer willpower, "Find out what you can about this Queen of Fables and patch it through to the Batmobile as soon as possible." Even though his hands and his voice wanted nothing more than to shake uncontrollably, letting the nerves that had immediately appeared when he'd realized that he was the only one left, that both Diana and his son had both somehow disappeared thanks to this monster, letting those nerves free to rain over him. But this wasn't a time for emotion or worry, it was a time for the nerveless side of him that soared through sky hundreds of feet in the air hanging by little more than a strong piece of string. It was that side that had to come forth now and assuage him, to go into battle clear-minded and strong, no matter how many emotions assailed him.

He'd been trained for moments like this. And, he reminded himself, the others weren't helpless – they would somehow find a way to leave him a message to elude and evade capture in the fullness of time.

Unfortunately, he wasn't sure just how much time they had or if the League were even alive. But he refused to dwell on that thought, instead, letting the adrenaline course through his body as he planted himself securely in the driver's seat of the Batmobile, gunning the engine and setting a fast pace and course for Bludhaven, particularly the vicinity of Fourth and Elm Streets.

Arriving in the outskirts of Bludhaven, he could immediately see that the city had indeed been changed and his eyes almost couldn't believe the sight before him as he continued into the city. He'd seen many things before because of sorcery and magic and yet, this one seemed different – darker and grimmer than anything he'd been a part of before.

The city now bore a resemblance to something out of the nightmares of Morgaine La Fey, some sort of concoction that an evil spirit such as she would create and he again vehemently wished that magic had no place on Earth that sorcery could somehow be stricken from the bounds of the world.

But since that wasn't the case, he would fight it with what he knew best: logic.

Batman pulled up slowly to the building at the corner of Fourth and Elm and could immediately see that the Queen of Fables had left her mark here as well. What he assumed had formerly been a brick façade was now a dark almost obsidian colored stone that lent an eerie presence to the building, an unworldly feeling, and he couldn't help the shiver that lanced up his spine before he stiffened his muscles, refusing to even feel an iota of fear because of the magic of this witch.

Slowly, he entered the building, pushing aside the heavy wooden doors that now served as the entrance and taking a glance around, surveying the scene and the evidence as best he could in the circumstances. Removing a small flashlight from his utility belt, he flicked on the light and proceeded to scan the floors, trying to let his mind process and document everything that it could, to analyze his surroundings as he slowly made his way through the foyer of the building. Eyeing the mailboxes set into the wall, he noticed that few tenants lived here and that the majority of them lived on the two floors above him.

Swiftly, he made his way up the stairs, wondering if he would be able to find anything that would help him to eventually defeat this villainess and reclaim both his friends and the city that his son now called home.

Noticing an open door, he cautiously made his way towards it, slowly allowing his eyes to peer into the entrance and survey what lay before him. And what lay before him was an ordinary apartment: a mirror hung on the wall nearest the door and he could hear the sounds of the television emanating from one of the closest room, although no other sounds punctured his consciousness.

He took a few guarded steps into the room and glanced over at the television where news reporters were continuing their coverage of the Justice League, of some of their recent missions, in particular, the one he and Diana had embarked on in Kasnia. She had made quite the impression on the media during her time in the City of Lights and Kasnia – partying with Audrey, helping to stop Vandal Savage's power-hungry mission, and even dancing with the notorious Bruce Wayne.

A part of him wanted to let a hint of a smile appear on his face thanks to that memory, but in the present circumstances, he couldn't help but let a sliver of worry ease its way into his heart. Remembering her smile as she had been held closely in his arms, the way that she had seemed so happy and carefree, he couldn't help but wish that none of this filth had touched the purity that was Diana, that wherever she was, she was alive and well.

Venturing further back as he blended with the shadows, he came to an open door and one glance into the room proved that if the Queen had not originated from this room, somehow, she was responsible for what had occurred in here.

A woman's slumped body lay on the floor, blood pooled around her in a dark puddle and a small child clutched in her arms. Moving quickly towards them, he checked quickly for a pulse and found one on each of them, although thready in the woman, who had obviously been protecting her child from the wrath of the Queen or one of her minions.

His gloved hand warm on the child's throat, his eyes landed on a tome across the room, the leathery spine creased with use and the page somehow still fluttering as if an invisible wind were wisping through the room. Although the cover was a little dusty, it still held the clear imprints of fingertips that had grasped the edges of the book and he immediately realized the implications of that, that this woman had been reading to her son when something had interrupted a bedtime story.

Stepping closer, Batman noticed that on the pages were large, bolded letter that signified the beginning of a paragraph or page and that the script within was old fashioned and somewhat well-worn, certainly an older tome. Fingering the spine, he saw that it was entitled: Fantasies and Fables and his suspicions were immediately aroused.

"Oracle," he said, linking up with the computer genius who he had tasked with finding out more about the Queen of Fables, "We need an ambulance in the building here, Apartment 2B. Mother and son, both unconscious, but the bleeding from the mother has stalled. They're in the back bedroom."

He heard her signal for the emergency transportation and then began to speak again. "Oracle, what have you found out for me?"

"I'm sorry to say almost nothing. There's pitifully little information to be found. But I did find something detailing that she's taken over one building in Bludhaven as her castle of sorts – the city hall, I believe. That's where the League was last seen as well, heading in that direction."

"And anything of Diana and Donna?"

"Sorry, Batman, but no one seems to know anything. It's as if they've disappeared."

He swallowed, pushing down the fear that threatened and replacing it with the brashness and confident arrogance that was a part of the Batman armor. Again, running a finger down the spine of the book, he asked, "What can you tell me about a book called Fantasies and Fables? It's an older book, at least a century old, if not more."

He heard the clacking of the keyboard from over the line of communication and then heard Oracle state, "You're right. It's about two hundred years old and the book was written in Germany. It was owned by the Weinstadt family there until a few weeks ago when the book was sold at auction and ended up in a little antiques and book shop in…Bludhaven."

Finally, some of the pieces were starting to come together and Batman reached over, picking the book up from where it lay, watching as the page continued to dance and swirl from the invisible wind. Looking closely, he could see pulsing colored light emanating from the inside of the pages and tiny sparks leapt over the pages, making him thankful for the gloves that protected his hands.

"Batman, I just found a rumor that the book is where an evil sorceress has been housed since the books creation centuries ago. It looks like the sorceress was trying to kill her stepdaughter and the girl managed to trap her in the book, but in the process, she made the sorceress not only immortal but able to use all the creatures of literature in her arsenal. You know, dragons, griffins, and the like. All mythological and fanciful creatures are supposedly at her discretion."

He clenched his teeth together, once more remembering why it was that he hated magic, bitterly eschewing it for cold hard facts. "Do we have the stepdaughter's name?"

He hated rumors, hated anything that wasn't concrete evidence, but this witch simply hadn't left much information to go on. Thus far, the book was their only clue and he would take any and all information about it and process that information later, analyze it to find the best solution to this problem, just like he did everything else. If all he had to go on were rumors and innuendo from centuries ago, then that's what he would use in order to solve the mystery of the League's disappearance and hopefully end the reign of the Queen of Fables.

"Batman, you're not going to believe this…but her name was Snow White."

Glancing around at his audience, at their wide eyes and rapt attention, the narrator couldn't help but smile, couldn't help but wonder at the enchantment on their youthful faces. Some had eyes with the light of a detective in them, anxious to solve the mystery of the disappearance and the Queen of Fables; others seemed battle ready, their little bodies vibrating with anticipation, eager to take on the Queen and defeat her utterly for hurting these heroes and the lives of so many; while still others were clutching their teddy bears and blankets, sucking their thumbs and hoping the story wouldn't bring them nightmares.

But he knew better. One could never tell a story unless it had a happy ending and he certainly intended to give them one in the end, to charm them with the telling of the tale and enjoy the look at their faces as the story progressed, as they reached the conclusion and the villainess was defeated, as she had to be.

Of course, as dear as this story was to his heart and much as he enjoyed telling it, there were things that the children might not understand, might not be able to truly comprehend as he continued with the telling. For as much joy that came out of this story, eventually, there was sadness as well.

But, as he glanced around the room once again, hearing the small stirrings of protest that signified that he had waited too long to continue the tale, he remembered that the joy far outweighed the sadness…

**Next chapter: Body Language – Learn about what happens to Nightwing…(And Alfred makes an appearance!)**

**Ouch. My least reviewed chapter for this story. Well, hopefully you all liked this one better. I keep staring at the stats longingly – I can't help it, I'm obsessed! I crave feedback. So if you're out there, take a minute and let me know what you're thinking! Positive, negative, but please but constructive! Thanks!**

_To reviewer **Lauren **– I'm so glad that you like it and you're still enjoying the story! I really appreciate that when you manage to read, you find time to review as well! Thank you!_


	8. Body Language Part One

**Title: Just Might Make Me Believe (Fantasies & Fables)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the DC characters used in this story.**

**Thanks to JLAFan for the assistance. Un-betaed but hopefully not too shabby!**

**Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day! I hope you all had an Irish weekend – I certainly did! Music, beer, Guinness stew, more beer, and more music!**

**I hope you all have taken a few English literature classes in your lifetime! Some of their contents are going to be appearing over the next few chapters, but I will admit that the stories are based on, well, fantasies and fables…so hopefully you recognize them!

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**Chapter 7 Part One: Body Language**

"_Don't talk, baby, don't talk/Body language" - Queen_

Of course, as dear as this story was to his heart and much as he enjoyed telling it, there were things that the children might not understand, might not be able to truly comprehend as he continued with the telling. For as much joy that came out of this story, eventually, there was sadness as well.

But, as he glanced around the room once again, hearing the small stirrings of protest that signified that he had waited too long to continue the tale, he remembered that the joy far outweighed the sadness and he smiled softly at the faces staring back at him, their impatience and restlessness beginning to show thanks to the long pause in his story.

Still, he took another minute to muse, to wonder at how much had changed since this story had truly taken place, so many years ago. Both lives and love had been changed, even conceived, because of this woman, this Queen of Fables and the havoc that she had wrecked upon the Justice League and their comrades in the business of being a hero.

Her actions had changed so many things and he was heartened to realize that so many of those changes had brought goodness and joy into the life of himself and so many others. It was interesting to sit back and consider how such villainy had incurred such joy, such events that had changed so many lives forever, both benefiting them and enhancing them.

One of the children finally decided that he'd had enough of the silence, giving the story teller a petulant glance as he asked, "What happens next?"

The story teller leaned back, letting the smile ease from his face as he decided which part of the tale to impart next, finally coming to the conclusion that the story of Nightwing had to be next. His part was a major one in the tale and his story needed to be told, particularly since he was the first to disappear, the first to truly understand what the Queen was capable of, and have to enact an escape from where she'd sent him.

Staring at the portrait that hung above the fireplace as the last rays of the afternoon sun filtered through the room, he said, turning his eyes to the children, "This part of the tale is about the hero known as Nightwing, the former partner of Batman who has now matured into a hero in his own right. This light-hearted man decided to carry on the crime-fighting lineage from his mentor, but this Knight of Bludhaven was about to learn the true meaning of being a knight..."

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"I have already taken care of both of the princesses," the Queen of Fables murmured in a malicious tone, and from high in one of the towers, two glass coffins floated outwards, shining with gilt and gold in the night. And as they came closer, to the heroes' horror, they could see the quietly reposed faces of Diana and Donna, the Amazon princesses. Their beauty was unmistakable, but the two sisters were unmoving, utterly still as they hovered in the air. 

For Nightwing, the sight was like something out of a nightmare, some kind of twisted dream gone horribly wrong right in front of his eyes. All he could do was stand there for a moment, transfixed by the sight of Donna, still as death, in a gilded coffin, the glass lid letting the true beauty of her shine through as she lay there under the witch's spell. He could only hope that she was still alive, but nothing in the witch's words or tone gave him any reason to believe that was true.

Time slowed until it was still and he could see nothing but Donna's face in front of him, the blue eyes closed as if in sleep, the ebony locks cascading down over her shoulders and beneath her back. Blood began to thicken and congeal within his veins as he stared at the woman who he had so recently realized held a piece of his heart. She'd been a part of him for so long – a friend, a confidant and companion – and it had taken him so long to realize that she meant more to him than any other woman in his life.

She was always there, always encouraging him and giving of herself unselfishly – that was Donna's way. And now there was nothing left of that loving and giving woman except the physical perfection of her outer shell and he wanted to roar in anger at having her stripped from his life now, at this point, just when he had started to realize exactly how much she meant to him and where she fit into his life and his future.

Taking a deep breath, willing his body and mind to calm, he felt the first stirrings of blood move through his body once again, as he pushed aside emotion in favor of the analytical skills and training that he had learned at the knee of Batman. It had never worked in his favor to go into a fight without first discovering all that he could, without pushing the strongest emotions aside in order to focus on what was necessary at that moment.

And at that moment, what was necessary was Donna. His eyes locked onto her still form and he ruthlessly pushed aside the ache in his heart, the desperate wish echoing through his brain for her to be alive and safe – and then he saw it.

There was a small flutter of movement as she took an almost imperceptible breath. And he couldn't contain his reaction as he launched himself off the ground towards her in his typical Nightwing fashion, being the only one who still had the full strength and extent of his powers, only to find himself stopped mid-air. Squirming and straining with every ounce of his strength at his invisible bonds, he heard the voice of the villainess murmur, "I'm sorry, Sir Knight, but I believe that these princesses are mine."

He watched as if in slow motion as she snapped her fingers and suddenly, everything around him was gone – replaced by a change in scenery and nothing that he immediately could place as either familiar or recognizable. The trees grew tall and thick around him, and the denseness of the solid trunks, gnarled branches, and heavy wealth of leaves left little moonlight to be had. Looking down, he could faintly make out a well-worn path that seemed to line through the mass of trees before and behind him.

Above him, the moon filtered softly through the tree tops and he could just barely make out its gentle glow as he turned his eyes skyward. The stars were unlit, turning the night sky black, other than the soft luminosity of the moon, just visible to his eyes through the tangle of branches high above and all around him.

He stared around him, trying to take in every detail that he could, trying hard to observe and analyze in the way that Batman had taught him so long ago, although he had to admit that he'd never been in a situation like this one before. It was as if he was suddenly in another world and he wasn't sure if it was real, something conjured up by his imagination, or some drug that the witch woman had unleashed.

But, he'd been through hallucinations that were drug induced thanks to villains like the Scarecrow and his noxious fear toxin, and this didn't have that same feel to it. Even when he had been in a hallucination brought on by the fear toxin, some part of his psyche, of his self, recognized that he was in a world conjured up by something other than reality, whether it was his own fears coming to the forefront or just some part of his subconscious coming forward.

This, however, seemed real. It didn't seem like a dream state or any type of drug he'd ever chanced to encounter – the colors were vivid but true, the scene unlike anything he'd ever known, and, reaching down, he could feel the crisp blades of grass as he combed his fingers through them, a slight dampness that signaled a rain had occurred earlier, sometime before he had arrived.

It didn't get much more real than this.

A slight chill pervaded the air and he decided to make the best of this situation and look for shelter, to try and find some clues or keys to discovering where he was and how he could get out of here and back to Bludhaven. Slowly maneuvering along the path, he tried to keep his mind open to his surroundings and to analyzing it fully so that he could make it through alive and in one piece, but his brain kept focusing on and coming back to one thing: Donna.

He needed to rescue Donna. Now that he'd realized that she was a part of his heart, that she always had been, he needed to get back, to prove that he could escape and finally do something right with his love life. After all the issues that he'd had in the past, he wished a little guiltily that he'd realized how much Donna had meant to him and his happiness before today, before she had somehow gotten tangled up in an evil witch's plot and used as some pawn in a game that he simply couldn't understand and hadn't figured out just yet.

"Rose Red," he whispered aloud, softly into the night air, as he stopped dead in his tracks. The witch had called Donna 'Rose Red'. Combing his mind, he remembered a story from his childhood, one that Alfred had told him one night in bed and for some reason, had stayed in his head ever since. The story of Snow White and Rose Red had been one out of a big book of fairy tales that Alfred had read to him as a child – a tome adorned with fabulous, glossy pictures that showed the minute details of every story. And this one featured two sisters by the name of Snow White and Rose Red, but somehow, he got the impression that the witch he'd encountered in Bludhaven was more interested in Snow White, that her focus was determinately on the elder of the two sisters.

He tried to put the pieces together, but to his dismay, nothing was coming, there was nothing that seemed to explain what was happening to him – to all of them.

Only one thought seemed to pervade – this woman had a fascination with books.

He thought again of Alfred reading to him those first nights when he had come to stay in Wayne Manor, when he had been tucked warmly under the covers with a mug of hot chocolate, wondering and worrying about his new life and despairing when he thought about what he'd lost, what had changed. But there had been Alfred, solid and steady Alfred, with a book in hand that had reminded him so much of his parents, how they'd used to read him a bedtime story. He supposed that part of the reason he remembered bedtime with Alfred and the stories he had told so vividly was the fact that it had been the only good memory of those first days with Bruce, adapting to life in the Wayne household.

Looking up, he saw a figure striding through the woods and immediately tensed, his body on guard for whatever he was about to face. The figure was garbed in an odd costume – what appeared to be long robes – and while he walked with a spry gait, he carried a staff or cane that he used occasionally when moving forward. Although, he mused, it seemed odd to call someone else's dress choices odd when he himself was wearing a skintight costume he used to crime fight every night and was in a rather elite circle of people that frequently did so. He peered ahead into the darkness, trying to determine more about the figure as he clung to the shadows, Nightwing's dark costume blending well with the murky darkness that hung around them.

As the figure approached, he glanced unerringly toward where Nightwing stood in the shadow of the trees, a little off from the path, and said, coming closer, "Your name would be Wart."

His first thought was of confusion and irritation that the man had managed to pick out his exact position as he hid within the woods. One of his first lessons under Batman's tutelage had been to cling to the shadows and hide himself in whatever surroundings he found himself in, whether it was the rooftops of the city or the sewers that ran beneath the streets.

In either case, he had excelled at this particular lesson and it frustrated him that the man had found him so readily. But, the elderly figure seemed harmless and something about him fairly screamed safe to Nightwing. Still, he didn't want to take any chances and he answered back softly, still hidden in the darkness and out of reach, "Excuse me?"

"I said, 'Your name would be Wart.' There's no use in hiding, boy, I know your name and it would be in your best interest to come out here." And as the man took a step forward, a shaft of moonlight fell on his face, revealing his features to the costumed crime fighter hiding amidst the trunks of the trees.

Alfred.

Almost subconsciously, Nightwing took a step forward, but then caught himself mid-step and fell back into the darkness, trying desperately to calm his racing pulse and keep his thoughts together and his mind was literally exploding. Or, so it felt like to him.

Why was Alfred here? Was this a trap? Or was this some desperate attempt on the part of the witch to keep him from continuing down the path and finding his way back to Bludhaven and Donna?

"My name," said the aged gentleman, "is Merlyn."

Nightwing swallowed. What kind of place had stumbled into and what exactly were he and the others going up against with this witch woman? He wanted to rub the pounding ache in his head, but instead, he kept still within the woods. His thoughts raced as he tried to analyze the situation coolly and calmly in a way that would have made Batman proud. And then he realized that some of the clues were indeed falling into place – this fight was about sorcery and magic, but it was also about literature.

He'd dealt with villains before that had used a theme of some kind; in fact, most of them did, but being trapped in what he assumed was a book, literally trapped within the pages, was something that he had to admit was a first in his years of fighting against crime and wrongdoing.

Idly, he wished for his escrima sticks, any sort of weapon that would make him feel a little more comfortable and aptly prepared for whatever faced him in this world the witch had thrown him in, and watched, slightly taken aback, as the world around him seemed to flutter and shake like the pages of a book in a warm afternoon breeze, helping to confirm his hypothesis that he was apparently trapped within a storybook of some kind.

And yet, something about the movement, the fluttering of the pages, struck a chord deep within his mind, as if there were something that he should realize but couldn't quite get a handle on. He took a deep breath as he glanced at the man who resembled Alfred again and fought to remember the stories about Merlyn, but all that came to mind was that Merlyn had been essential to the stories of King Arthur. He could remember the Round Table, he could even recall a few knights, but, try as he might, little of the Arthurian stories that involved either Merlyn or someone called Wart sprang to mind.

"Do not be afraid. I am here to guide you, to be your tutor."

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**Next chapter (to be posted Thursday): Part 2 of Body Language – Nightwing finds his escape from the world of literature he's been placed in…**

**Sorry I cut this chapter into two pieces, but I want to devote some time and words to Nightwing and this chapter was getting out of control! Plus, I know that now you all expect my postings on Monday and I don't want to disappoint! So think of Thursday's posting as a bonus…and it will explain more about Alfred and what's going on with Nightwing.**

This chapter is based upon the story _Sword in the Stone_ by T.S. White, part of The Once and Future King by the same author. And within that tale, it is Merlyn and not Merlin, so I kept that spelling of the name. Of course, I have used the book liberally for my own purposes.

**I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! I finally got to use my English degree for something! Comments and questions appreciated. Thanks!**

_To reviewer **Lauren** – You're funny! You always say something interesting and try to help me with the story. I really appreciate your compliments and comments! Ah, the Queen of Fables, my lovely, lovely villain. I really enjoy writing her! And hopefully this story will all make sense eventually once I finish it! Thanks!_


	9. Body Language Part Two

**Title: Just Might Make Me Believe (Fantasies & Fables)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the DC characters used in this story.**

**Thanks to JLAFan/Christine for the dialogue and all the help. I can't even begin to express how grateful for all your help along the way and most particularly in this chapter. I couldn't have done it without you and your constant support! I LOVE YOU, AU SELF!**

**Unbetaed and hopefully passes muster.**

**And okay, you all will probably realize very soon that I went a little crazy with this chapter. Even splitting it into two parts, it's still amazingly huge! Even without the beloved narrator…

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**Chapter 7 Part Two: Body Language**

"_Don't talk, baby, don't talk/Body language" - Queen_

As the man known as Merlyn stepped more firmly into the light, Nightwing could see that while he did bear a strange resemblance to Alfred, this was not actually a sort of reincarnation of the Alfred that he had known and grown up with. Thinking back, he remembered that he had been ensconced in thought when this Merlyn had shown up and that while his primary contemplation had been about the book and the significance of Snow White and Rose Red, those thoughts had triggered particular memories of Alfred, of being read to as he fell asleep at night.

They had been happy memories, some of the few that he'd had in those first dark and dreary days after his parents' deaths, and perhaps some of those memories were leaking into his present, wherever the hell he was. He still hadn't quite figured out where he was; only that he was trapped inside a book and that someone who claimed to be the wizard Merlyn had appeared and called him Wart.

None of which was particularly helpful to him at this time except, perhaps, for the fact that Merlyn had taken on Alfred-like characteristics. He had often thought that Alfred possessed wizard-like abilities; the man tolerated Bruce full-time for gods sake and had helped to raise several boys of different generations after their parents had died or been ripped from their lives. Nightwing could only admire those characteristics - the stubborn strength and steel that had always been and probably would always be Alfred.

He wondered if perhaps his subconscious was playing a more significant role here than he had previously realized, bringing out familiar faces in the literary characters he'd found himself trapped here with. Nothing about the surroundings had changed, so he was forced to believe that he couldn't manipulate the surroundings, only the people around him, and even then, only in small and intimate doses. He had the distinct feeling that if he had not been thinking about Alfred, had not seen some immediate similarities between the two men that no part or piece of Alfred would be here now, including his face.

He was grateful for small mercies, including his subconscious need to put familiar faces around him. But then, falling into a completely unknown situation with little idea of how to handle it would push forward the need for the familiar in anyone, he decided.

Deciding to trust this figure and remembering absolutely nothing about Merlyn ever having played a part in someone named Wart's downfall, he took one step out of the shadows and asked, "A guide?"

"Well, yes, boy, a guide." As Nightwing examined the man, he could only see a resemblance to Alfred in the lines and shape of the face, the age of the man, while the rest struck him as being as far apart from Alfred as he could imagine. The figure was covered in cobwebs and his robe was mussed, with dirt and leaves clinging to the hem, something that Nightwing couldn't imagine Alfred ever allowing to happen. The dignified butler would never be covered in anything other than respect and an air of worldliness that was simply innate in the man.

"I am here to show you the path," the man stated calmly, gesturing to the floor beneath their feet and beyond into the far off horizon.

"The path to what?"

"Ah, young sir, that is for me to know and for you to discover." Hearing something in Merlyn's voice that reminded Nightwing of Alfred, he took a step closer only to discover a rather disconcerting twinkle in the other's man's faded blue eyes. "Suffice it to say that this journey will help you in your final quest."

Journey? Quest? Nightwing's head swirled with all the words that Merlyn was throwing his way and the implications of them, but he quickly realized that he had little choice in the matter. If he was to escape this book, he needed a guide and he needed to figure out what was required of him for liberation. And he decided, right now, whether he was Wart or 'Wing, he wanted out of this book and he'd use whatever he could right now if it gave him an edge, an advantage in foiling the witch's plot and getting the hell out of here.

Eager to begin the journey and hopefully end his imprisonment in the book, Nightwing dismissed the wizard's suggestion of rest and immediately decided that the best course of action was to start down the path with Merlyn and hope that it ended somewhere enabled him to escape. Right now, he was out of any other plausible or better ideas.

It was as if time was in fast forward after that, as if many adventures occurred within the space of a little time, or so Nightwing fervently hoped. Anything to get out of this place and back to saving Donna he was willing to do as long as it was quickly. But Merlyn had to put him through his paces first, had to assure himself that "Wart" was aptly prepared for what lay ahead, although Nightwing had no idea what that actually consisted of.

As the night sky advanced steadily towards dawn, Nightwing found himself completely at Merlyn's mercy, something that he simply wasn't used to. Although, he had to admit, he'd been under Alfred's thumb pretty much since his first moments in Wayne Manor so long ago. The man looked like a proper British butler, but underneath the distinguished exterior lay a tyrant the likes of which Nightwing had rarely come across, rivaling perhaps only Bruce's stubborn will and unbreakable need for control. And yet, they all knew who, in truth, ran Wayne Manor and his name certainly wasn't Bruce Wayne.

Under Merlyn's tutelage, he was able to remember the joys of flying through the air, the sheer delight that echoed in his heart in those moments as he soared from branch to branch, although he had to admit that using his acrobatic and aerial skills while in animal form took a little getting used to. Still, as the night progressed, he began to understand that Merlyn was showing him sides of the world that were rare to him, showing him pieces of the world that he'd forgotten about or had never really taken the time to truly appreciate like he should – a new perspective for a man named Nightwing.

But now he remembered the feeling of soaring through the sky, the quiet moments as the blood pounded through your veins and the wind whipped, and realized that this was freedom and a love that was simply innate in him.

There had been moments where he thought that he'd seen it all – the glories of love, the underbelly of society, alien worlds of afar and all in between, but as he learned to see things through the eyes of the creatures that Merlyn had made him, he had been forced to learn to adapt to that as well: to breathing underwater and using a fin for movement, to using wings for flight rather than his own momentum or a jump line.

And as the moonlight began to softly and slowly fade from above, he found out that, even here under a witch's spell, he had been enhanced by this experience and that it was a life lesson, a teaching about perspective that he would be calling on once he escaped as well.

As Merlyn sent him away, telling him to go it alone on the next leg of his quest, he walked almost unseeingly over the path that was threadbare beneath his feet, wondering if this so-called journey would ever actually be over.

"Zapped out of Bludhaven, stuck in a damn story book, a cryptic Alfred/Merlin dude tells me I'm on a quest-- and my frickin' name is Wart," Nightwing grumbled to himself, swatting away a cloud of pesky gnats as he neared a clearing at the edge of the forest. "Damn power-hungry, self-boasting witches. Now I remember why I hate magic."

Nightwing slowed to a stealthy walk as the sound of voices began to filter in through the trees. Crouching down, the hero peered through the scrub to find a young couple having what appeared to be a heated discussion. The lingering moonlight illuminated the expanse of field before him just enough to where he could see a beautiful woman in a long flowing, low-cut gown in a shade of white that seemed to stand out thanks to the light of the waning moon. The woman was accompanied by a man of roughly the same age, his silhouette clearly delineating the quiver on his back and bow the young man carried in his hand. And as he watched the two, their passion and heat practically causing the night air to sizzle, Nightwing mused to himself, _'An archer with woman problems. Reminds me of Roy.'_

One of his best friends since the first days of the Titans had been Roy Harper, adopted son of Oliver Queen, better known to many as Green Arrow, and it had always seemed to Nightwing that there was something about Roy that said that he was willing, even eager, to follow in his father's womanizing footsteps. Perhaps, he thought with a little chuckle inside his head, it was the flirtatious nature that Roy practically oozed every time a pretty girl came within a mile of him. He just didn't seem to be able to help it and, for the most part, Roy seemed to glory in his skills at attracting women.

Pausing for a moment, Nightwing weighed his choices carefully as he kept an eye on the couple arguing in the midst of the field. It seemed that he could either choose to sit and wait out their little disagreement, hoping that it ended rather quickly and they would be on their merry little way, or he could ignore them and continue through the field as if it were completely empty, like he were a normal inhabitant in this storybook world. Looking to the east, Nightwing determined by the twilight's glow that dawn was rapidly approaching and, looking down to his suit, decided the quicker he got out of this land of-- whatever it was, the better.

Sighing to himself as he eavesdropped, he quickly realized that the couple had barely even begun their spat, and softly stepped into the clearing, determined to ignore the two lovers as he continued in this inane little quest. He didn't want to follow this "quest" but something told him that the only way out of this book was to follow Merlyn's advice.

After all, he laughed to himself, Alfred had never steered him wrong before.

"Look, Marian, I swear to you I did no such thing. You can trust me," the archer told the fair lady with a leering smile and as Nightwing glanced at them out of the corner of his eye, he he could almost see the archer assuming the look of Roy Harper, doing his best to charm whatever female stood in his path.

"So are you, the great and might Robin Wood, calling your trusted second hand man a liar?"

"I-- John said that? Dirty rotten, when I catch up with him... Marian, Wait!" the young archer called out and moved swiftly to catch up with his lady love as she began to proudly and defiantly make her way across the field, her head held high, her gown trailing after her just as the archer was doing.

"You don't understand, my love," Robin Wood said as he reached out and, bowing at the waist, caught her hand, bringing the back of it to his lips in order to place a tender kiss along the tender skin while looking up to her with a playful smile.

'_Smooth, very smooth, Roylook-alike,' _Nightwing thought as he continued on his way, grateful that he was nearing, and hopefully soon passing, the two quarreling lovers without them even noticing him. He didn't have time for distractions and he really wasn't in the mood. It had been one hell of a day, er, night.

"Little John, he just, well... altered the facts of the other night," Robin Wood answered as he kept hold of Marian's hand as he stood up straight again. Nightwing could practically see the twinkle in the man's eyes and wanted to laugh as he realized that he'd seen that exact same look on Roy Harper's face only a few hundred times since he'd first met his friend.

"Hmph" she muttered, still holding herself regally, but the haughty air seemed to have diminished as she gazed at the archer smiling so charmingly at her. "I'm not quite certain that I believe you. What would Little John have to gain by revealing to me that you were having quite the jovial time with that well-endowed daughter of Lloyd of Illingworth? That you were greedily enjoying her father's mead as well as said endowments?"

"Sweetheart, he's simply trying to come between us. He's seen your beauty and wants it for his own. You are, after all, the most beautiful woman that lug has ever seen," Robin told her, lavishly piling ob the compliments, white teeth gleaming, and Nightwing caught a glimpse of reddish hair under the yellow hair that adorned the archer's head.

Marian removed her hand from the groveling archer's touch and crossed her arms, obviously still not entirely sure that she believed the words emanating from Robin Wood. "So you're telling me that Little John lied just to impress me?"

"Yes, well, no, no. It wasn't like that, Marian. Rebecca, she was simply..."

**WHAP!**

Using his well-honed instincts, Nightwing deducted that the pitch of the slap was too high to have come from the strong hand of the archer and thus, as he continued on his way as if he were the only one in the field, he had to bite back a smirk as flashes of memory filtered through his mind. Each one recalled a time that Bruce had been slapped across the face, having no doubt offended whichever lady was lucky, or rather, unlucky enough to be seen on his arm that night at whichever society function playboy Bruce had made an appearance at.

'Poor Bruce,' Nightwing thought to himself, as his amusement faded into solemn reverence as he thought of his mentor. 'Having to act the ditzy playboy just to protect his alternate persona, making sure the world saw no similarities whatsoever between Bruce and the Bat.'

"Uh, excuse me," Nightwing said with a slight blush as the couple stopped their quarrel when they noticed him walking by. "I didn't mean to intrude," he told the twosome as he continued on his way, keeping his eyes glued to the crude dirt road as he walked in the grassy middle between two ruts he assumed had been cut through the field by the constant travel of wagon wheels.

Jumping at the possibility of a diversion, Robin Wood stepped in Nightwing's path, stating, "I find that hard to believe, friend. The Maid Marian is considered to be the fairest in the land and you would not be the first to come along in an attempt to win her over, even from one such as myself."

Putting his hands up in surrender, Nightwing shook his head with a smile, "I assure you, the only thing I'm here to do is to pass through and finish this journey."

"Is that so?" the archer asked, thumbing his chin as he sized up his opponent, "Where ya going?"

Nightwing chewed the inside of his lip for a moment before answering, "I'm not sure-- exactly."

Robin Wood cocked an eyebrow, looking at the man before him in utter disbelief. "For one who says he does not know of his destination, your garb boldly contradicts your words," the Roy look-alike said and stopped, apparently lost in thought for a moment before again stepping forward and cutting off Nightwing's path. Nightwing exhaled in minor frustration, wanting nothing more than to move on and finish this story book tale or adventure or whatever it was. And then, catching something in the archer's face, he smiled to himself at the similarity between the two, Roy and Robin Wood, when it came to beating a dead horse into the ground.

"You look like a man of talents, stranger. I challenge you to a duel of skills," Robin Wood continued, turning his hand palm up and fanning it toward the beauty at his side, her face intrigued by the idea even while it still held echoes of her wrath, "for the entertainment of the Maid Marian."

"Yeah... um, sorry 'bout that but I can't, maybe some other time."

"Here and now," the Roy look-alike said, his face arrogantly pleased as he quickly unsheathed his sword, listening with satisfaction to the hiss of the blade as it sliced through the air.

"And the hits just keep on comin'," Nightwing muttered, then cursed under his breath when he, out of habit, reached behind his shoulder to grab one of his escrima sticks. With one throw, he'd be able to hit the finely honed steel of the archer's blade in such a way that its impact would create a vibration so intense, he'd have no choice but to drop the sword. Out of instinct and reflex alone, his hand reached behind him only to grab for thin air as his brain finally remembered that this wasn't Bludhaven and somewhere along the way, his mind had become the only weapon that he had at his use.

As the man named Robin Wood advanced on him, wielding a sword, Nightwing looked around, frantic to find something that could stall the attack he was about to face at the hands of someone who looked exactly like Roy Harper right down to the reddish hair, the quiver filled with arrows, and the silly little hat that reminded him of their days as Speedy and Robin, the Boy Wonder.

Pushing aside his feelings, he concentrated almost viciously on securing some type of weaponry, his mind falling on the idea of a sword since the archer was getting closer and closer, clutching the sword with an adeptness that bespoke of his familiarity with the weapon. The air hissed when Robin Wood swung the sword in a casual arc, advancing slowly but steadily towards Nightwing, who was concentrating with all his mind on a sword, using every bit of the determination and willpower that he'd found in himself so many years ago when he'd thought he'd lost everything important in his life with the loss of his parents.

Instead, he'd found Bruce and a calling that suited him, a purpose in life that had made him into a man, that let him serve people in a way that he chose, using his skills and his talents in order to become a Knight of Bludhaven. With the loss that day had come what he considered almost a reward, allowing him to change not only his own life but that of others, to mold him into a hero who stood for something. He would never be able to forget that, even on the nights where he still wished for his parents, their warmth and laughter, just to watch them soar through the air once more, faces smiling and lit with love for one another and the feeling of flight.

He'd found Donna as Robin and grown to love her as brother; later, as Nightwing, he'd realized that the affection between them had transmuted into something else, something that had been tucked away in his heart until he'd had the time and maturity to really understand and appreciate it. Now, with thoughts of those loved ones, of new loves and the warm glow when he thought of all those he considered parents, he reached deep into the depths of his mind, focusing with all the strength and concentration behind it that he could muster…

And felt the hilt of a sword perched in his hand, the sudden weight that felt unusual, heavier than any blade that he'd worked with previously, and yet, in this circumstance, completely right. Swinging the sword up in front of his chest, he quickly assumed a defensive pose, his feet going naturally into a rhythm that was practically second nature by now, slowly circling his opponent as he took his measure.

He'd sparred often enough with Bruce, with Tim, with anyone that he deemed a potential candidate to hone or even advance his skills, that the steps came easily to him, the ebb and flow of movement as he circled an opponent trying to gauge their next step or in this case, their first move. Nightwing noticed a small bandage on Robin Wood that made him realize that the archer would favor his left hand in battle, almost as if he didn't quite trust it as much as the right hand since it was apparently injured through whatever means.

They continued to circle slowly each other until Robin Wood suddenly gave an untrustworthy grin that reminded Nightwing of Roy's leering grin and slashed through the air, his sword landing with a hard metal clang against Nightwing's as the dark costumed hero brought his weapon up with a slow steady motion, blocking the archer from completing his deadly strike. Nightwing immediately pulled his sword away, lunging towards Robin Wood with incredible accuracy and landing a blow before it was deflected towards the archer's side as he moved swiftly away, his footwork nimble and sharp as he danced away from Nightwing's sword.

The two men continued to circle, their movements sharp and precise, their feet fleet and swift as they maneuvered around each other, both concentrating on nothing more than winning this contest, than outwitting or stripping their opponent of their sword and calling this a victory. And Nightwing was determined that this victory would be his, that he could wield the sword and emerge the winner from this little skirmish. In fact, he needed to win, to move on and to figure out what his next step was so that he could return to Bludhaven, to the world that he'd left behind and the people that meant too much to him.

They were there, waiting on him, there was something in his bones that could feel the truth in that statement, and he knew that he needed to keep his eye on the ultimate prize: escaping this mad version of a story book land and rescuing the fair maiden.

Wincing at his own thought, he realized that apparently this place was starting to rub off on him, that his mind was even starting to think in medieval terms and language. Inwardly swearing, he decided to end this fight as soon as possible – he'd had enough.

Lunging, he drove at his opponent with a force and accuracy that was sharp and true, intent on leaving Robin Wood unharmed but unable to follow him as he set off into the figurative sunset and on his next leg of the quest that Merlyn had mentioned. But his strike was immediately countered and the clash of steel sang out through the air even as the reverberations rang up his arm. He looked down to see naught but the hilt of the weapon left in his hand and immediately leapt backwards out of range of the archer's sword arc, his feet racing as his eyes once again searched vicinity for anything that he could use as a weapon or shield – a tree branch, anything would serve at this point, he decided as desperation mounted.

Suddenly, his eyes fixated on a shaft of light that lanced through the clouds above and came to rest on a block of stone that somehow, he hadn't managed to notice before. Something in the back of his mind told him that had that stone actually been there before, there was no way that he could have missed it. He was trained to capture every little detail of a scene and a giant stone with what appeared to be the hilt of a sword sticking out of it wasn't something that would easily go unnoticed.

Something told him that it simply hadn't been ready for him until this moment, for whatever reason, as divined by whatever gods or people that were controlling this little patch of story book world. Without turning his back on Robin Wood, he scrambled backwards towards the stone, careful not to trip or stumble over any potential obstacles that could be in his path. Finally reaching his destination, he glanced at the archer to see him continuing his advance, sword at the ready and a cold grin like steel on his face, barely resembling the Roy Harper that he called friend.

He stared at the slab of stone for a second, feeling the power whoosh and zoom around him as if it were practically vibrating in the very air, and knew that his quest as at an end, knew that it was time to return to Bludhaven and carry out his mission of saving Donna and ending the reign of the witch who had overtaken his city. His memory banks were suddenly filled with the story of a young Arthur, pulling the sword from the stone and Nightwing realized that with that one motion, Arthur had become a king of lore and legend, and understood that the witch had indeed thought him to be a noble knight, imprisoning him in a story such as this one where his only escape was through duty and fealty to his cause, possibly even sacrifice. She couldn't understand that this was simply a mirror and an echo of his life, of the purpose he'd given to it and what he'd given up for it.

But, he thought as he wrapped his hand around the hilt of the sword, he'd gained so much more than he'd ever thought possible. And, as his mind clung to the thought of Donna, of love and laughter and a life full of its own rewards, in one motion, he slid the sword from the stone and raised it high into the air, full of triumph and the heat of the moment, feeling the zing of power as it sang up his arm along with an almost overwhelming dizziness as the world around him faded and collapsed into nothing more than blackness.

Closing his eyes at the headache that threatened to pound its way through his temples, he once again unknowingly echoed the words of his mentor, stating, "I hate magic."

Slowly, he opened his eyes again, blinking as the cast-off from the street lamps hit his eyes and the suddenly, he realized exactly what that bright light meant and quickly looked around him, breathing a deep sigh of relief when he realized that once again he was in Bludhaven, the place he now called home.

The streets were dirty, the city caked in shadows and murkiness, and he couldn't have been happier. A part of him wanted to bend down and kiss the ground beneath his feet, but taking a second look, he decided that he was better off without whatever illness he could catch from taking that step.

Besides, he thought with a quirky smile, there were better things to kiss around here.

Picking up his communicator, he asked Oracle to patch him through to Batman, hoping that he too hadn't been subjected to the witch's whims and ways. Hearing what he suspected was a glimmer of happiness in Oracle's voice, he wondered exactly what had happened to everyone else and how long he'd been gone.

Nightwing quickly gave the man who had trained him a brief synopsis, telling him of what had happened to him after his disappearance and how he had managed to escape from his literary prison. He kept looking over his shoulder in darting glances, sure that the witch would have realized that he'd escaped by now, but to his surprise nothing came creeping or crawling out of the darkness that wasn't unusual in Bludhaven.

Arrogant, he decided, the witch hadn't figured on anyone figuring out how to escape. "Where's everyone else?" he asked quietly into his communicator.

"Still missing," Batman responded and Nightwing immediately leapt to the correct conclusion, assuming the others had suffered the same fate as himself, "including Wonder Woman and Donna Troy."

"They're with the witch," Nightwing told him. "She's captured them. It was like something out of a fairy tale with glass coffins and princesses sleeping within them. But they're alive…"

And before he could say another word, the hero heard an almost imperceptible sound of relief expelled from the other end of the communicator and realized with blinding clarity that perhaps he wasn't the only one here with feelings for one of the women the witch had captured. But before he could completely wrap his mind around that fact, he heard Batman's voice again, telling him, "She's called Queen of Fables." All Nightwing could do was smirk at this bit of information, but he quickly sobered as Batman continued, "I found the book she apparently appeared from and it's in the Cave now for analysis. I'm returning to Bludhaven…"

* * *

**Next chapter: Headlong – While Nightwing has been trying to escape the pages of a medieval story, John and Shayera have been trapped in their own…**

This chapter is based upon the story _Sword in the Stone_ by T.S. White, part of The Once and Future King by the same author. And within that tale, it is Merlyn and not Merlin, so I kept that spelling of the name. Also, the character in the story is Robin Wood and not Robin Hood. Of course, I have used the book liberally for my own purposes yet again.

**Ouch. Do I have to beg of you all to review? Does anyone imagine that I won't? HAHA! Because I certainly will! Seriously, it only takes a minute and believe me, it simply and absolutely makes my day. And I need it! Especially since I'm so drained after writing this (and a chapter of Out Tonight) in the last oh, two days!**

_To reviewer **Lauren** – I am hiding nothing now, absolutely nothing! Well, that's a lie. You don't know what story everyone else is trapped in and you don't know who the narrator is. But you will. To quote the Wicked Witch, "All in good time, my pretty, all in good time!" I'm glad that you're enjoying it and hopefully I gave you a few answers! Thanks!_


	10. Author Note

Author Note:

I just wanted to let you all know that I'm sorry that I haven't updated this in a little bit. Mostly I'm just busy, tired, frustrated, and a little unsure of what to do next. But don't worry! I haven't abandoned it and it will be finished once the plot bunnies return.

Also, for those of you who are interested, JLAFan and I are working on a story together under the name Bats-n-Bracelets and hope to have it up on this site soon. Very soon! It will be under the Batman comics section and we're pretty sure we have a title, but I'll let that be a surprise for now!

Anyway, I've been focusing a lot of attention on that lately and probably will be for awhile. So I haven't abandoned any of my stories; they're just not getting the proper amount of attention! But look for us if you're interested and pm or email me if you want to know more about what we're planning to do…


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